Basic Military Training (BMT) sergeants - they are your worst enemies and greatest motivators at the same time.

For the amount of foul-mouthed shouting they direct at you, they care equally for your well-being (well if you drop dead they'll be in a world of trouble). Here's 12 classic things you'll hear any BMT sergeant hollering at chao recruits.

1.

We all know good genes is the reason why our sergeants are so fit. Sometimes it is their mothers or ah gongs that run faster, but mostly grandmothers.

2.

Never start off a sentence with 'I think'. Sergeants are well-meaning and don't want you to get things wrong based on hearsay/rumours. Do something wrongly and you may hurt yourself. So just follow their instructions, ok?

3.

But sergeants are also quite confusing, don't know if they want recruits to think or not. But yes, the helmet really hampers the brain function.

4.

Always the best motivating sentence from the sergeant. Everyone will dress up in their smartest 4 and make sure the bunks are super clean before book out. But actually, the sergeant also wants to go home so he will not suka suka confine the whole platoon.

5.

You will always have that blur platoon mate who does not understand sarcasm. Some times he may even thank the sergeant for his generosity. The sergeant's impatience is measured by how long he drags the second 'take your time'. The longer he drags the shorter his patience.

6.

When sergeant says never mind, it means he minds. A lot. So no choice but to train arm muscles until he does not mind again.

7.

Sergeants are not Wikipedias and some recruits ask really stupid things. But recruits are taught not to say 'I think', so they have to ask everything. If not it will lead to the next scolding....

8.

Hard life being a recruit. If we don't think and just do, sure get scolded for not thinking. If we think a bit, we get scolded for assuming. How to be thinking soldier like that?

9.

You know shit has hit the ceiling when your sergeant calls for stand by universe. It means you will surely hear 'Never mind, whole lot knock it down!'. There is no pleasing the sergeant when he wants the universe clean and spotless.

10.

You only hear this pearl of wisdom when you're nearing POP. As a 18-19 year old, this line will probably be the most useful piece of information you'll hear and will carry you throughout your life. Thank you sergeant!

11.

When you are about to give up during your ET runs or route marches, your sergeant will be there patting you on the back and asking you to endure. Magical words to keep you going most of the time. But if you really want to give up, he will then use 'Don't want to book out right?' which is even more powerful in getting you back to company line in double time.

12.

You see that tree there? Go touch it and come back

Not sure was it because of the time spent in the jungle during SISPEC, but sergeants love to see recruits running to trees and asking them to touch or kiss the trees. It kept us fit and trained our shuttle run also. But sergeants don't know how to point properly. He will always say that he pointed at a different tree and make us run a few times.

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