"Are you gonna aim for gold now??"

To all those Lance Corporals and Privates and Recruits(who got retained due to OOC or some other reason) of the 2012 enlistment batch, I think I can safely say that it wasn't a good feeling watching people of your batch having their SCS-graduation parade or Commissioning parades in the past few weeks, not because of jealousy but because of that moment in Tekong when you were inches shy of that 216 or 225 mark. Because you couldn't pull that last pull up despite all those strength training you had.
I have to admit, I didn't feel good at all watching Ah Boys To Man with all that emphasis on OCS. I wanted to go there, or at the very least SCS so that I can don a white vest, hold up a sword or at least have some sort of leadership role I can learn from and BE PROUD OF.

There's still a year or so (or less for the batches who enlisted before march) to go till we ORD. Let's stop bemoaning this and that and start learning, start taking pride in what we do. Don't let SAF tell us the limits of our ability. Start picking up books, start giving more in our daily life. Start learning from the officers and sergeants, especially those who are ORDing in around 2 months time!

POP can be the sadly the ONLY highlight of your army life, OR YOU CAN ADD MORE TO THAT EXPERIENCE. You may not be part of the parades, may not puff your chest out proudly as you don on a black bar or three chevrons on your chest but you can still take pride in yourself by being the best you can in every day life. No matter what vocation you are in, no matter what kind of shit work you do(I pick up paintbrushes to paint tattered boats just for someone else's parade), YOU CAN ALWAYS DO YOURSELF PROUD IN THE THINGS YOU DO IF YOU PUT IN YOUR BEST EFFORT. BE PROUD OF YOURSELF FOR THAT.

To all the new officers and sergeants in the house, I congratulate you and hope I can learn more from you in the upcoming months to come. :) Proud of you guys.

To all the "man" serving NS,
You don't have to be in "man-mode" because it is an insult to your ability,
We are not born to follow,
Thats an insult, don't let SAF tell you your place,
Salute our superiors for they have undergone training beyond wildest imagine,
But give yourself a chance to prove your worth,
give yourself a salute for your efforts and sacrifice and time,
"Once in our life, 2 years of our time"
DO OURSELVES PROUD,
DON'T LET YOUR RANK PUT YOU DOWN,
TONIGHT IS BOOK IN NIGHT,
SO LETS HAVE A GOOD DAY IN PREPARATION FOR A MIGHTY GRAND WEEK AHEAD.

Lester you're the best (:

we shall see (: