(This is an account taken from Facebook's SAF Confessions. Am thinking it is a good insight on the changes (or similarities) made to BMT since our own. Account is dated 2013.). ;-)
About BMT (dated 2013)
So I’ve just POPed (finished BMT) in 2013 and I’m writing this to you all who are going to enter soon, be it the May batch, J2s or J1s (Its up to you if you want to take note, I know you guys are busy with PW and As).
It may be a little long but will cover most of the things that you will go through and tips to survive and even enjoy your BMT phase. Do bear in mind everything differs from Coy to Coy (short for company, like Pegasus, Raven etc), so do play by ear and learn to adapt. This is written not to disclose any SAF restricted or sensitive material but for enlistees to better cope with their BMT Life.
Initial 2+ weeks confinement: The adjustment period will be tough and long. Waking up will be hard and on some days will feel like forever. But keep thinking when your next lunch or dinner or RO (routine order, where the officer tells you what will happen tmr, which happens right before Admin Time). Admin Time, which is supposed to be at 9.30pm till 10.30pm lights out, will be tight in the initial confinement, so don’t be surprised when you have no time to call home.
Most sergeants will be more understanding in these 2 weeks of confinement and be more lax in tekaning you when you make mistakes, so this is the time to test the system and see how strict they are.
Sergeants are the ones with stripes like “V” or “^”, whom you can call "Sergeant". Officers have straight lines, bars “---“ and you call them "Sir". Try not to be late for anything.
Take everything as a new learning experience so as to psych yourself up or seem interested. Depending on your buddy, the initial confinement could be ok if he’s streetwise; or fucked up if he’s a blur douche. And yes, you’re stuck with him the whole BMT so either he wakes up his idea or you suck it up.
Your rifle will be an annoying bitch until you have your sling. Try and adjust as high as possible for more comfort. Lock your cupboards at night with the assigned padlock and turn until leaving the last number so that with one turn you can open it. This is useful for getting into the showers first, heheh.
The UMPC you may be given (ipad for sch4) is slower than a retarded tortoise but still can surf facebook.
Things to bring: Underwear (I brought 5 and washed them regularly. My section mate brought 18) slippers, coins (for vending machine, if your coy allows), snacks (sweets, crackers, dried mango, cereal. They maybe confiscated during the initial confinement period, but try and hide them and don’t get caught), "snake" powder (heat rash one), clothes hanger/pegs/detergent, toiletries (3 rolls of toilet paper+), plasters/strepsils/leukoplast/muscle rub (in case of cuts and to prevent abrasions), watch/alarm clock (don’t fall in 5 mins late. Just don’t.), plastic bags, handphones (can bring camera phone, as long not as big as galaxy S3. No chargers but iphone portable chargers are ok. My friend brought 4 portable chargers). All of these should be packed in a small CV (civilian) bag as the first bookout requires you to stuff the bag and all your bookout-items into the field pack.
High key events: Below are high key events, things which everyone has to go through and are considered “very important”. If you never go you will be scheduled to retake them. (Btw, I may have missed out some events I cannot recall now.)
Live Firing (L/F): Using real bullets for daytime firing and night-time firing. 2 whole days are spent at the firing range and 99% time you'll be waiting and get fucking bored. Try and get Marksman, which is 26/32 targets shot. Don’t ND (negligent discharge, where you fire off without permission) as you will get SOL (stoppage of leave, fucking sian. Just don’t anyhow squeeze with nothing, with blanks, with live rounds, etc.)
Route Marches: The 4k and 6k are manageable. 8k march to field camp site is one of the worst. 12k is bad. 16 and 24k are at night so not as bad... But still really fucking tiring. but don’t fall out just take one step at the time. I heard you can geng the 16k and from 12k jump to 24k, if you wanna risk it. FFS don’t fall out during 24k as it is your fucking POP, mind over matter! Leukoplast your toes/feet and wear tights to prevent blisters. Fill water bag with Gatorade/Pocari Sweat/ ice lemon tea and don’t get caught. The field pack will need to have a standard 10 ziplock bags containing like your SAF towel, uniform, SAF sandals etc so it will be quite heavy.
Field Camp: Holy fuck I’ve never been so dirty and not care about it in my life. Get used to high kneeling (one knee on the ground, both legs 90 degrees) and being generally uncomfortable. The rations imo are quite tasty - the pasta is not bad. Accessory pack (or the snackpack) is alright too. Sometimes even with canned salmon and canned coffee.(Yes you can choose rations and snackpack but don’t fight over them). Day 3 will be memorable. Shellscrape will be a motherbitch to dig but just take frequent breaks.
SIT-test: A 2-day thing where you and your group (different from your section mates) are presented with situations at different stations and are tasked to solve it on the go. Be confident when you are the IC as you decide the final plan after listening to the rest. Imo sit test was kinda fun and creative, but the running from station to station lugging the required items was shag. SIT-test is very important if you want to go to OCS.
Grenade: Just throw and see if hit target lor. Nothing serious will happen even with the most blur recruits (some ppl throw straight down in front of them) so can relax. 99% waiting time again.
IPPT & SOC: Aiming for Gold for IPPT (NAPFA without sit & reach) will help you get into OCS especially a good 2.4km timing like sub 9.44. A good SOC (standard obstacle course) timing, sub 4min, will also help gain respect of peers and commanders. Fastest I know is about 2:40+ which is really fucking fast. Most people fail on low wall and low rope. Got technique one, just learn, but of course need your own strength too. Save energy for the low rope on the first few obstacles and the last 300m dash, which is the most shag part.
BIC: Battle inoculation course. Happens at the end of your BMT, where you leopard crawl basically until you damn shag and apply previous battle knowledge.
Other activities: Such activities comprising of your daily routines and are mostly unimportant and merely there to waste your admin time. No, really, you don’t get much fitter doing these activities compared to training on your own. But bohpiain as army arrange liddat so you just do lor. That said don’t geng everything also, looks bad on you to yr peers and commanders. Just have lots of fun with these activities with your buddies.
Urban ops + CMS: These two are arguably medium-key events. Learn how to battle in urban environment. CMS = paintball. It’s terrible. Dreadful. Outrageously appalling. You wont have fun unless its raining and you dive around in the mud.
AGR (agility group run) / Speed Training: Run around parade square lor. How long depends on your OC (officer in command, more on structure later)
Strength training: Lift medicine balls and weights. Garang one throw higher/lift heavier
BCCT: Basic close combat training. Teach you how to shout like an idiot, I mean fight and defend people. Punch, kick, muzzle thrusts etc. seriously just have fun here.
5BX: Wake up every morning feel like doing PT, grab my shoes im on the floor gonna do some push ups, before I start, warm up with ?? counts of 5 cause when I leave my bunk im so shag I can die. Ok la I did 5BX like 3 times in my BMT, depends on your coy. Most times schedule too packed to do 5BX
Draw/Send Arms: Taking and returning your rifle to a room called armskote. Waste a lot of time queuing, signing in a book (don’t sign on the line), oiling, etc. - you’ll learn.
All in all just accept the fact you’re there and don’t be a douche to others. If you’re aiming for OCS, you don’t need to wayang, just let your results show and shine during SIT test. Going to the MO (Medical office) to geng is ok just don’t do too often and don’t miss out high key stuff. Listen to instructions and carry them out. You’d be amazed how blur some people are. Don’t be late for anything. Really. If you suay become platoon IC don’t panic, just keep a notebook write down everything like platoon strength, status strength (status = people who went MO and have excuse).
Speaking of which, Platoon 1 usually on the 2nd floor with vending machine, etc to Platoon 4 on 5th floor. Platoon 1 also first to go places, first to come back, so yeah, Platoon 1 is pretty lucky. You’ll be assigned a 4D number eg 1212, meaning platoon “1”, Section “2”, Bed number “12”, so once you get the 4D number on day one you can tell who your section, or bunk mates are by the first same two digits. Being 1201, or the first bunk probably means you’re the Bunk IC and you have a lot of shit to do so tough luck. By the way, 4 sections of 16 men each make a platoon, 64 men. 4 platoons make a company. Each platoon has 1 officer the PC (platoon commander) and 4 sergeants, usually 2 sergeants are mafakers. The whole coy has 1 OC, usually 3 bars officer i.e Captain, but just call him sir.
Other then this idk if I missed out on anything, but you can email me at mpdontfindmepls@hotmail.com if you have queries! I repeat again this information is not used to disclose SAF-sensitive material but for the benefit of recruits-to-be.
The end.
