PES E NS recruit becomes 2LT officer after more than 2.5 years of non-stop training

Shagged.

Belmont Lay | June 14, 2020, 10:41 PM

2LT Caleb Wong from the Combat Engineers has been hailed by the Singapore Army in a Facebook post on June 14, 2020 as the epitome of resilience.

His unorthodox journey?

Going from a PES E recruit to passing out as a 2LT officer after more than two years of non-stop training.

According to the post, Wong is on track to be a career soldier.

Wong enlisted on Oct. 10, 2017 as a PES E enlistee due to medical reasons.

In the post, he said upon passing out as a commissioned officer: “Here I am now, in OCS after over two years since my enlistment. I’m really thankful for everyone that I’ve met throughout my entire journey pre-OCS. The entire experience has made me a better person, as well as a leader.”

A full-time National Serviceman (NSF) stint is typically two years.

His journey

According to the post, Wong went through PES E Basic Military Training (BMT), which lasts nine weeks, and was posted to Army Safety Inspectorate (ASI) as an Admin Support Assistant (ASA) for over seven months.

After going through many medical check-ups and going for the medical board, he managed to have his PES status upgraded and underwent normal BMT.

He was then posted to the Specialist Cadet School.

At this point, although not mentioned in the post, it is estimated that he has completed his first year of NS.

He managed to clinch company best during his Foundation Term training, and was eventually awarded the Silver Bayonet upon his graduation from Specialist Cadet School.

Specialist Cadet School training lasts about 5.5 months.

He was subsequently posted to the Infantry Training Institute (ITI) and served as a Section Commander, as well as a Platoon Sergeant for about eight months.

Through the recommendation of his superiors in ITI, Wong was selected to attend the crossover board and he passed the interview, and subsequently, embarked on his Officer Cadet training.

His entire military journey so far has been about two years and eight months.

Top photo via The Singapore Army