ORD or ROD?

Whatever it is, I am happy that I am granted the opportunity to serve my nation. Be it 2 years 4 months or 2 years only, I have served with pride. I am really glad that I have resumed my role as a civilian as of today. Glad not because I have finally finished my ‘ordeal’ with army but glad because I have concluded and done my part for the nation as I obeyed my call of duty to the Republic. I feel a sense of pride as I received my certificate of service together with that coveted sticker on my SAF 11B indicating that I am now officially a NSman.

ORD or ROD? To me, it really doesn’t matter much. In fact, I will be really happy if I only ORDed. This is because I will get to wear my No. 4 again and do my part to serve the nation again. This is so exciting. However, if I really RODed, I will just have to admit that it is all due to my shortcoming and I don’t blame anyone. All in all, if I am given the chance to serve my nation again, I will definitely do my best again.

2 years 4 months passed by in a flash. It seems like yesterday when I have gotten my new SAF 11B at BMTC School and today I have ORDed from army. It is really fast. Plus I was disrupted for three years for my studies before resuming my service again in late May this year. This last four months of my service is very memorable just like the previous two years when I was with my unit. In totality, I have learnt the importance of healthy working relationships with my colleagues and I must really continue this fostering of healthy working relationships as I enter the workforce starting next Monday.

Felt quite reluctant to leave my camp this evening. I did spent some two years plus in this camp and the sudden feeling of leaving it for good is quite sad. She has became like a good old friend to me and my permanent departure from her can really rekindle some fond memories that will forever be remembered in my mind even after many years.

National Service to me is not really a waste of time. In fact, I do feel that it is preparing me to face the real world outside. Although the society in the camp cannot really foreshadow what the society is really like in the outside world, it does give you a foretaste of what it is like to work with the different people from different race and background. One of my professors did ask my graduating cohort in NTU, “Are you ready for the world?” Today, I can answer him that I am ready for the world only after National Service.

This is the end of my national service journey. I can indeed identify with Paul in 2 Timothy 4: 6-7, “… the time has come for my departure. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”

National Service is over but this is just one small chapter in my entire life and if counted against eternity, it is nothing but just a drop of water in a full bucket. Let me continue the race for God and prove to Him that I am His good and faithful servant. Thank God for seeing me through everything. AMEN!