Simpler IPPT? Please differentiate between army regulars and “part-time” soldiers

I am happy to learn that our Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen is finally reviewing the yearly Individual Physical Proficiency Test (IPPT). I am all for a simpler IPPT, but I hope the review committee will differentiate between army regulars who are full-time soliders and reservists like me who are “part-time” soldiers.

While it is the duty of full-time soldiers to keep fit and do well for the IPPT as it is their chosen career paths; reservists like me did not choose for a career in the army. We are just conscripts. We have other work and family obligations to meet outside of our forced, part-time soldiering duties.

I hope the review committee will not overlook this difference.

By all means, hold the full-time national servicemen and the signed on regulars to a high Gold standard. However, it would be unfair to expect the same from the rest of us though, especially  for some of us who have already left the army for more than ten years.

I am trying not to be too hopeful of the review outcome here so that I would not get too disappointed when the eventual changes suck.

Dear Minister Ng Eng Hen, my remaining four years of IPPT/RT/IPT torture lies in the hands of you and your review committee.  I hope you can be more understanding of the plights of part-time soldiers like me who are not cut out to pass IPPT till we are 40+ years old.

I have written quite a bit on how the IPPT/RT/IPT and reservist system can be a real pain for Singaporean men, especially the not so fit ones who cannot pass their IPPT. Click here to read the archive.