IDF Reservist Service Compensation as Comparison?

Although Israel is permanently in a siege situation and it regularly uses reservists for dangerous punitive expeditions in its so-called "backyard", ahem the Palestinians would be pissed that their home is someone's "backyard", the compensation for IDF reservists' duty however doesn't match the SAF's. Those who serve more than 15 days IDF reserve duty get NIS 4,000 in tax benefits. That is about $1,500 for us if I did my conversion right. Shite. Either we are paying too much for our reservists (of coz not!) or the IDF is short changing theirs (looks like it).

Heh. We gripe about our ICT and IPPT callups coz we don't feel the pressure for defending the motherland like Israel. There doesn't seem to be a need for playing soldier until we're 40 years but yet we have to endure it. BTW why didn't RECORD V reduce the age band for reservists to 35 for the bulk of us? Anyway to make me less unwilling to do ICT, just show me the money! A FT boss is itching to get rid of us using ICT as an excuse coz of the downtime. Now as internet connection and laptops are allowed in camps, the unreasonable woman or FT boss is just going to say you can still do work during ICT. Riiiiiight. Another golden handshake excuse that you could not deliver and meet deadlines altho you were doing your ICT. Back to compensation, RECORD V missed the plot. Show me the money and I won't even bitch about women and foreigners not doing ICT. Promise. Reaaaally.

BTW anyone knows about the Switz reservist benefit and compensation policies?


After 5 years of debate, reserve soldiers get regulated benefits
By shahar Ilan, Haaretz Correspondent
02/04/2008

After five years of debate, the Knesset approved on Wednesday the "Military Reserve Law" which, for the first time, regulates benefits for reserve soldiers in the Israel Defense Forces.


The law stipulates that reserves duty will now be limited to a time frame of no more than 54 days in three years, and that those who serve will receive compensation of at least NIS 3,500 per month in addition to tax breaks.

Deputy Defense Minister Matan Vilnai said that the law had been debated for many years and that Defense Minister Ehud Barak was the one who finally put it into motion, because he was willing to invest hundreds of millions of shekels.

MK Tzachi Hanegbi, the chairman of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee which approved the law in the second and third readings, said that the new law is the remedy for the sense of growing inequality and the frustration shared by many of the reservists.

The law contains many important, and some controversial, clauses. The most important provision allows for affirmative action in favor of reservists in such areas as tax benefits, university scholarships and university dormitories.

"The government and any other body may hold activities and set regulations rewarding reserve soldiers or demonstrating esteem toward them. Such an action...will not be seen as forbidden discrimination," the law says.

Vilnai sees this clause as "the heart of the law." MK Avshalom Vilan (Meretz), who fought for the legislation, is far less enthusiastic. "It's very problematic constitutionally," he said. "Why should someone who served in reserve duty have priority over an Arab who has no money?" he asked, referring to the fact that Arab citizens in Israel do not serve in the military, and do not get called up for reserve duty.

The Military Reserve Law began as two proposals, cabinet and private, submitted by 30 Knesset members. The initial cabinet proposal said that an army veteran who is not called for duty within two years will be exempt from reserve duty. This meant eliminating the reserves as the people's army and turning it into an army of one fifth of the people.

The hurdle was eventually bypassed and the bill now stipulates that the IDF may release those it does not need - the same as today. The bill still heralds the end of the people's army, Vilan said, because the more benefits are granted to more reservists, the more expensive it will become to call them for duty, so the army will call up fewer men. "Only the good regiments will be called up. This is already happening," Vilan said.

Vilnai said that one of the law's main innovations is requiring the defense minister and the IDF chief of staff to report annually to the cabinet and Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee about the reserve force, its size, fitness, equipment and number of reserve days expected during each given year.

Currently, the minister and chief of staff can mobilize all the reservists with an emergency callup order, requiring no supervision. From now on, the law stipulates that they will need the cabinet's, or at least the prime minister's, approval as well as that of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee within 48 hours.

One of the proposal's goals is to limit the number of reserve duty days each man must put in per year - 54 days per soldier in three years (an average of 18 days a year); 70 for a non-commissioned officer (23 a year) and 84 per officer (24 a year). Some of this time must be spent in training.

This appears at first like a great improvement. But Itay Landsberg, of the forum of regiment and brigade commanders and pilots, says that holes in the law make it possible to call for a 36-day service a year - which would leave today's situation unchanged.

Vilnai's people said this would only apply to special professions such as pilots and doctors.

He said the law adds NIS 800 million a year to the military budget. About half a billion shekels will be financed by the Defense Ministry, following Defense Minister Ehud Barak's decision, which enables passing the legislation.

Vilan said some of the money has already been given to some reserve soldiers, so only an additional NIS 400 million needs to be budgeted. Even he admitted that "this is quite a bit of money."

Currently, reservists who don't work, or earn a very low salary, receive compensation from the National Insurance Institute equivalent to minimum wage. Once the legislation goes into effect, they will get paid 68 percent of the average wage, some NIS 5,300. The reservists asked for 100 percent of the average wage, but Landsberg says this, too, is an improvement.

Those who serve more than 15 days a year will receive from the Tax Authorities a sum equivalent to two credit points, which could reach NIS 4,000 a year. This is a substantial benefit.

However, Landsberg found that the state intends to charge them 25 percent income tax.

The defense establishment says the new system doubles the payment for some reserve days by 1.4, thus improving the reservists' situation. The reservists say these sums are negligible.

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Related Articles:
The NS Issue Revisited - Singapore Skeptic

RECORD V: More of the Same Useless Rewards and Recognition for NSmen

I read with great interest (and amusement) of the recommendations by RECORD V to recognise NSmen's contributions to Singapore Defence.

In case you don't already know what RECORD is, the cute acronym represents "Recognise the Contributions of Operationally Ready National Servicemen to Total Defence". The "V" is not for victory but to denote the fifth committee comprising 20 individuals this round who represent, "different sectors of society".

Let's examine how useful (or useless) some of the 18 recommendations are from a perspective of an ex-Reservist who has served his 2.5 years of full-time national service in operational armour unit and 10 years of annual in-camp training in a people's defence force battalion.

Record V Recommendations
Record's recommendations fall under the following themes. Full report here (opens pdf file).

• Rising aspirations
• Importance of leadership
• Encouraging fitness
• Globalisation and increased work demands
• Building cohesion
  

Rising Aspirations:

1. Enhancing the rank allowance increments and combat allowance for NSmen and Full-time NSFs (Specialists)
In Singapore, money talks, so overall more money is always better than less, all (other) things being equal. However, for NSmen, it doesn't make much of a difference because most of us are compensated for loss of wages. Hence, if I'm a CEO making $1 million a year, it doesn't help much if the SAF calls me back to become a clerk. But then, the money could be useful to reservists who are in-between job where rank pay does help them somewhat.

But if you talk to reservists, the grouse is by self-employed who under-declare their income tax or CPF contributions as Mindef uses these to compensate for loss of wages. Self-employed small business operators get hit more relative to wage earners who have IR8 and company pay slips to substantiate their specific wages lost to the SAF.

For full-time NSFs, more money is good. They are already earning below minimum wage (which Singapore doesn't have) of about $600-$800 for basic cleaner job in the marketplace. Hence, any upward revision is welcome.

2. Family recognition vouchers to attractions such as the Singapore Discovery Centre and SAF chalets
Is this a way to help boost up poor utilisation and take-up rates at Singapore Discovery Centre and SAF chalets or what? This is so lame. If they were serious about family recognition vouchers they should do what the Red Cross did which was to sponsor a pair of tickets for family members to go to the Jurong Bird Park. Seriously, Singapore Discovery Centre does not appeal IMHO.

Globalisation and increasing work demands:

3. NSmen be allowed to bring in company-configured laptops and mobile devices for use during In-Camp Training (ICT).
This recommendation is way behind the times. The SAF is now in the 2009 and IT was hot in the mid to late 90s and prior to dot-com crash of 2001-2ish. In addition, I witnessed first hand how officers and key appointment holders could bring their own computers into camp without much scrutiny but the specialists and men had to jump through many hoops to get clearance from RSM etc in the name of "security".

In today's 24x7x365 business world, not having your 3.5G phone or blackberry equivalent device is to cripple your effectiveness as a corporate warrior while you are off playing SAF warrior.

Encouraging fitness:

4. Improving the equipment at existing fitness corners in public housing estates, as well as building new fitness corners if needed
This is missing the point. Most NSmen lack not facilities to train but rather TIME to do so. If you are working 60 hours a week and overtime nights and sometimes weekends, how much time can you have to go and train for your IPPT? It's not the facilities, to its credit, the Government through NParks has invested lots of taxpayers funds in the park connectors. I myself use to run along such connectors near my home to train for my 2.4km run.

It's not the facilities, it's about time! But hey, Singapore's approach is to throw money and facilities into the problem. The problem should be tackled by telling employers to look into work-life balance issues for NSmen so that they can have enough time to train so as not to fail IPPT and not have to go for RT which wastes the company's time as well!

Building cohesion:

5. Create online social network for NSmen to strengthen camaderie
This is lame. There is already a few social networks, they are hardwarezone thread on NS knowledge base. Many blogs in Singapore e.g. Singaporedaily and theonline citizen touch on NS issues (in a non-flattering way to the gahmen).

6. Develop a new clubhouse in Punggol
Again, building another Safra clubhouse using Safra and taxpayers (Mindef) money. Please come up with something more original that costs less. Mind you, Safra facilities are not free, they charge memberships that are lower than commercial country clubs but they are not free.

The recommendations to me doesn't break much new ground.

In the area of education, the recommendation only go so far to ask for letters of support to augment university applications for NSF commanders. In our meritocratic system, these letters mean little because grades, grades and to some extent CCA and/or interview make or break your application to popular faculties such as medicine, accountancy, law. Everything else is decoration.

There is no mention of subsidies to NSmen/NSF to study at local universities. There is no mention of medical subsidies for NSmen/NSF by public hospitals.

Education and health, important things to NSmen since you are behind by 2 years to foreigners and Singaporean women in studies and also you risk your life and limb but gain no real commensurate benefit medically.

Personally, you don't need to have a 20 person committee putting up all these common sense items that talking to 20-30 NSmen/NSF will yield. 1 Admin officer plus 2-3 MXOs can put up these recommendations in 2-3 weeks. Better yet, put up a real survey online for NSmen to tell you what they really think and feel and you can forget about RECORD.

Majullah Singapura.

P.S. I just took a look at the members of RECORD. It is chaired by Assoc Prof Koo Tsai Kee, Minister of State for Defence. How independent can such recommendations be? Enough said.

NS-NSF Policy - Something Good Coming?

Part of the 2009 rally spew on the SAF being a steady solid pillar of Spore blablabla but check out right at the bottom of the quote!

So Singapore has changed. And what has enabled us to make this change and kept us safe and sound all these years is the SAF. We have prospered in peace, we have managed to maintain confidence in Singapore and we have deterred any potential aggressors. In the old days, we had the SAF but we depended on the soldiers and what they carry. And the firepower you could carry was a rifle. If you wanted more, you had the machine gun, if you wanted more, the biggest thing you could carry was the 120mm mortar. I used to be in the Artillery so I chose this picture.

Today, we have the 3G SAF and if you see the soldier, which you should not because he is wearing new camouflage uniform, he is just one soldier. Advanced Combat Man System and he is linked up and he should be able to call upon the firepower of the whole of the SAF. He should have a UAV somewhere to see what is happening. He should be able to have an F15 on call, if not enough, Apache helicopters. Not enough? You have a stealth frigate. Not easy to see because stealth. If still not enough then we will bring our big guns, the Leopard tanks.

And it is not just words. It is a network system all connected together, all integrated able to fight as one tri-service combined armed force. We have invested in the hardware. But the key is in the man or woman - his training, his courage, his commitment. The regulars and the NSmen have served the nation well and we are particularly grateful for the services of generations of NSmen who have sacrificed and endured considerable hardships and inconveniences for the country. From time to time we have a committee to recognise the contributions of Operationally Ready National Servicemen to Total Defence (RECORD). Very long name but it is the Record committee. And the Record committee has convened every few years and they have had good ideas on how we can recognise and reward NSmen.

For example, they have recommended us to build SAFRA clubhouses. And we have built a number. The most recent one is at Mt Faber. I chose this picture because behind every NSman there is a wife and children, and they carry maybe more half the burden of the NSman service. More than just ironing the uniform but also providing him moral support and encouragement to do his duty. RECORD V, chaired by Professor Koo Tsai Kee, has been meeting this year. The committee is completing its work finalising its recommendations. It should have some good news to announce soon. So we should look forward to the announcement within a couple of weeks.

OMG shorter NS or NSF term? Beats any tax rebate IMHO.

Happy Bday Spore

My bro Panzer wrote awesome poignant pieces on how we do our duty but yet seem to have been taken for granted. And that is all that matters. Whatever the govt thinks they have done for us, without seeming like ingrates, it never does not add up for us. ICT is still a major waste of time in the way it is run. Rush to wait, wait to rush. Yet we do our duty and serve, reluctantly dragging our Goretex boots all the way to the cookhouse and back. Still we know the reasons for it, Matador, Konfrontasi, never again blablabla. Yawn.

Yet, when shite hits the fan, I don't like it, would probably crap in my pants but if the times comes and if there are no options left, even when I'm in MR, and if the camp calls me back as a volunteer (not a conscript), I would still go and find my old no. 4, the one I keep for any fetish party with a military theme, struggle to put it on and report back. Bravado? No. Foolishness? Maybe. The bottom line is not about watching Black Hawk Down, 300, We were Soldiers and the cinematic opening of Starcraft Brood War in a marathon chest-thumping loop to psyche me up into a Lt Adnan wannabe. Rather it is just simple primal survival. Where can my folks and I flee to? Nowhere. Maybe that was what the dudes on Bt Chandu thought when the Chrysanthemum Division approached their position. And that was why they fought to the last. Imperfect though Spore might be and however cheesy it may sound to some of you, Spore is still my home. Really.

Marilah kita bersatu

Happy National Day to all Singaporean NSFs, NSmen in the SAF, SPF and SCDF

TVD and Panzer would like to wish all our national servicemen and women who are defending the sovereignty and safety of all people in Singapore a Happy National Day.

Hormat to all the selfless individuals who are performing guard duty, protection of installations, patrolling, operations manning, 4NTM, 2NTM and other security duties for the defence of Singapura.

Hormat to all our brothers and sisters-in-arms for your duty, honour in service of your country!

Majullah Singapura.

Blast from the Past: ROD not ORD

From MrBrown some time back... on days so way back that there were no handphones then so you had to queue up at the public payphone along with the other guys. Back when there were 3-tonners, not the Man 5-tonners now.

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You know you are getting old, if during your NS days...

There is a delightful thread on Sammyboy.com about how you can tell you are getting old, based on your National Service days. I added some of my own to the list. The Lau Peng amongst you, feel free to add to the list in the comments section. I also added some photos from my Army days in my Flickr below.

You know you are getting old, if during your NS days:

1. You were trained to use M16 and have no idea what SAR21 is.
2. You used an AR-15 before.
3. You used a metal tray for meals, and you had to wash them after use.
4. You were "served" by army regulars (who will show you a f**k face and scold you for not holding your tray properly) during mealtimes in cookhouse.
5. You joked about having ice cream for lunch in the cookhouse... and now they do.
6. Your cookhouse food was cooked by actual army cooks.
7. Your sergeant was simply known as "Sergeant", and had only 3-stripes.
8. You did not hear of any NSman "dying suddenly".
9. You were known as the "second-generation thinking soldiers".
10. You had to do "area cleaning" every morning.
11. You were ferried from one place to another in 3-tonners, not air-con buses.
12. Your 3-tonners sat more than 30 people.
13. You had to queue to use the public phone whenever you have to make a call.
14. Your combat rations consisted of "dog biscuits" + canned sardines + canned pork cubes.
15. You wore dog-tags because you were told to do so and had no choice; not because it was "fashionable".
16. You were issued those cheapo China-made black PT shoes (and yet you were able to pass IPPT using them).
17. You ogled at the canteen Ah Soh with lust because she was the only woman in the camp.
18. You even found the Chief Clerk attractive.
19. You carried the same made-in-China plastic mug for brushing the teeth, drinking tap water, cooking instant noodles, drinking some lame diluted beverage from the chow line, and slurping up night snack.
20. You wore No. 4 uniform that was meant for colder climate and had a rubbery inner lining which caused heatstroke during a 10k run.
21. You wore a WW2 American helmet.
22. Your Skeleton Battle Order (SBO) was called "the bra".
23. Your stand-by-bed had safety pins all under the bedsheet.
24. Your S1 office had typewriters.
25. You wore green PT t-shirts that expanded after a few washings.
26. Your made-in-China PT shorts were all blue and made of very thin material.
27. Your swimming trunks were black and look like tight shorts.
28. Your Ali Baba bag had no wheels.
29. Your Ali Baba bag was a long khaki sack.
30. Your boots had to be polished till you could see your reflection in it.
31. You used a heated metal spoon and kiwi to polish your boots.
32. You know what a Change Parade is.
33. Your name tag was handwritten with a black marker and a stencil.
34. Your bedsheets had a funky smell even when they were newly washed.
35. You got $20 for acing your IPPT, not $400.
36. You zeroed your weapon with a Canadian bull (or k*-n*-n*-b*) instead of an electronic oscilloscope.
37. You were part of butt parties during range.
38. You don't know what ORD is, but you know what ROD is.

Arrrrh We'ah Hunting for the Black Pearl!

Shiver me timbers! Our RSN is playing Lord Admiral of the Imperial Fleet of the African Seas for a while and our mateys are going to use the Protector's Typhoon to frak some Jack Sparrows - except that those AK-47 totting pirates don't have parrots on their shoulders, pegged legs, don't like to say Yo Ho Ho and are totally not cool like the Pirates of the Caribbean Arrrrh. RSN FTW

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July 31, 2009
S'porean to lead flotilla
By Jermyn Chow

A SINGAPOREAN navy officer will take charge of an international anti-piracy patrol coalition to curb the escalating violence off the waters of Somalia.

The commander, who will be assisted by other officers from the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) officers, will lead the Combined Task Force (CTF) 15 from next January for three months.

This is the first time a Singaporean is commander of a multinational peace support mission since Singapore Armed Forces' (SAF's) Brigadier-General Tan Huck Gim was appointed the Force Commander of the United Nations Mission of Support in East Timor (Unmiset) in 2002.

Currently, the flotilla is being led by the Turkish navy.

The Singaporean naval officer, who has not yet been selected, will be commanding more than seven navy vessels that come from countries including the United States, South Korea and Australia.

Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean announced the deployment on Friday at the Changi Naval Base.

He paid tribute to the 296 men and women who were back from their three-month stint in the Gulf. They worked onboard the Landing Ship Tank (LST) RSS Persistence, with two Super Puma helicopters.

During their watch over the pirate-infested waters, they responded to 57 calls for assistance and launched 80 helicopter sorties.

'The dedication, hard work and sheer determination of each member of the Task Group has made this mission a success for Singapore.'

For their tour of duty, members of the team were awarded the SAF Overseas Service Medal.

At Friday's event, DPM Teo, who is also Defence Minister, said the deployment put paid to the SAF's ability to integrate its forces on land, air and sea.

'This demonstrates that the third-generation SAF is versatile, creative and operationally ready, capable of rapidly mobilising a wide spectrum of skills and resources to accomplish a wider spectrum of missions,' he said.