On Dec. 3, a cohort of Singapore Armed Forces full-time national servicemen army recruits will begin their 24km route march in the evening.

To prepare for the march, they were given a special meal for lunch, as seen in a Facebook post by the Basic Military Training Centre (BMTC).

Specifically, they had what was called a "Strong Burger Meal", complete with mashed potatoes, vegetables, and macaroni soup.

Here's what it looks like:

The post also included photos of the happy recruits, who posed with a thumbs-up with their meal.

While most comments comprised of well-wishers, a few had remarked that the recruits were so lucky to have been served a burger before the gruelling route march.

About the route march

The 24km route march is a fundamental part of Basic Military Training (BMT), and arguably the biggest milestone of a recruit's life in the army.

The recruits are, of course, dressed in full attire and carry their heavy field packs and rifles throughout the route.

Pre-Covid-19, the route march takes place at Changi and ends at Marina Bay with a graduation parade, a reverse of the march of defeat by prisoners of war who walked from Nicoll Highway to Changi during World War II.

Last year, the graduation parade was held at Our Tampines Hub, the first to be held at the heartlands.

Due to Covid-19 safety measures, they are now held at Pulau Tekong instead.

Every 4km, the NSF recruits will rest for at least 20 minutes, to hydrate and refuel themselves with light snacks.

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Top image via BMTC's Facebook page