保卫国家 2
Since the previous post was on 保卫国家...
During my last 6 months of my active NS days. Together with some of my unit mates, we were posted to the ATEC Aggressor Company where we took up the roles of enemies or aggressors for the SAF for evaluations and exercise purposes. We spend a cumulated 1 month in Taiwan to battle one infantry and one commando battalions on separate evaluations. This was an encounter my jeep driver experienced during his orientation drive around Hengchun village where our camp was located and where the evaluations took place.
In Taiwan, one regulation that we had was to don the Taiwanese soldiers’ uniform instead of our SAF uniform which made us look like the local soldiers. On the orientation drive, my jeep driver came upon a bridge which was owned by one of the villagers and was stopped by this little girl who was there to collect fees for any passage of vehicles across this bridge. When this little girl saw the army jeeps, she quickly asked her mom, "妈妈，军人要过桥，要不要收钱？" The girl’s mom upon seeing my jeep driver and other drivers on orientation promptly replied, "军人保卫国家，不用收钱" Instantly, the army jeeps were allowed to pass through the bridge.
On other occasions, during our exercise, whenever our jeeps drove past the kinder-garden in the village, all the kids would excitedly rush up to the fences and cheerfully shout " 阿兵哥! 阿兵哥!" , waving their hands in the air toward us. In Singapore, these scenes where kids cheer at the sight of soldiers are only seen on the National DayShow Parade, only on Aug 9, one day niah, or on some National Education (NE) Show on TV, on show, show show only, make people happy niah.
Could SAF soldiers get the same respect as we saw in Taiwan? Let's not forget Taiwanese soldiers are conscripts as well. At least some of the gestures may make soldiers feel proud at things that they are doing? Maybe?
In Singapore, when an army guy in camouflage uniform walks into the MRT carriage, everyone will try to shun him. Give him the “Eeee so smelly look”. Would anyone give up seat from these 阿兵哥, with the heavy full packs, duffel bags (opps… duffel bags are not issued anymore and now replaced by those wheeled luggage bags. Some what like air stewards, stewardess?) and the distinctive crew cuts? I guess not.
How about, “Hey, 阿兵哥, 你保家卫国, 你辛苦了, you deserve this seat!”
Impossible.
I guess the only true good impressions of 阿兵哥 were left gazillion years ago in our 好公民textbooks during our primary school days.
During my last 6 months of my active NS days. Together with some of my unit mates, we were posted to the ATEC Aggressor Company where we took up the roles of enemies or aggressors for the SAF for evaluations and exercise purposes. We spend a cumulated 1 month in Taiwan to battle one infantry and one commando battalions on separate evaluations. This was an encounter my jeep driver experienced during his orientation drive around Hengchun village where our camp was located and where the evaluations took place.
In Taiwan, one regulation that we had was to don the Taiwanese soldiers’ uniform instead of our SAF uniform which made us look like the local soldiers. On the orientation drive, my jeep driver came upon a bridge which was owned by one of the villagers and was stopped by this little girl who was there to collect fees for any passage of vehicles across this bridge. When this little girl saw the army jeeps, she quickly asked her mom, "妈妈，军人要过桥，要不要收钱？" The girl’s mom upon seeing my jeep driver and other drivers on orientation promptly replied, "军人保卫国家，不用收钱" Instantly, the army jeeps were allowed to pass through the bridge.
On other occasions, during our exercise, whenever our jeeps drove past the kinder-garden in the village, all the kids would excitedly rush up to the fences and cheerfully shout " 阿兵哥! 阿兵哥!" , waving their hands in the air toward us. In Singapore, these scenes where kids cheer at the sight of soldiers are only seen on the National Day
Could SAF soldiers get the same respect as we saw in Taiwan? Let's not forget Taiwanese soldiers are conscripts as well. At least some of the gestures may make soldiers feel proud at things that they are doing? Maybe?
In Singapore, when an army guy in camouflage uniform walks into the MRT carriage, everyone will try to shun him. Give him the “Eeee so smelly look”. Would anyone give up seat from these 阿兵哥, with the heavy full packs, duffel bags (opps… duffel bags are not issued anymore and now replaced by those wheeled luggage bags. Some what like air stewards, stewardess?) and the distinctive crew cuts? I guess not.
How about, “Hey, 阿兵哥, 你保家卫国, 你辛苦了, you deserve this seat!”
Impossible.
I guess the only true good impressions of 阿兵哥 were left gazillion years ago in our 好公民textbooks during our primary school days.
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