Coxford Dictionary for BMTers

Since I have completed many of my objectives today, (actually not really complete, 1/2 done, the other half is waiting for the teachers), I shall compile a mini-dictionary for all those future recruits, sons-waiting-to be born and any guy below 18 that stumbles here.

A-Z:

• "Arti Drill"---Full name is artillery drill. When this happens, guys are supposed to jump into any nearby bush, and lay flat on the ground, with a hand on your neck (to simulate artillery bombardment). Once they say "Arti lifted", you have to sprint and shout "Arti, Arti, Arti " ad nauseum with everything on for 1km , at the same time feeling stupid.
  Usually the most hated drill followed by sniper drill.
• AIRBORNE---One of the many songs which recruits have to sing.
• Anti-malaria pills---Recruits will eat one white pill each every week. They must stick out their tongues (with the pills on it) to the platoon sergeant to verify that they have eaten.
• Area cleaning---a rountine done every morning. Sometimes comes along with Stand-by area/bed/universe (see below)
  
• "Ba long long"---origin of phrase is unknown. Means taking your own sweet time. Used often in angry sarcasm. A prelude to pumpings (aka punishments)

  Eg: "You recruits still ba long long ah? Take your time, take your time..."

• Barang barang---meaning all your stuffs that you carry during your route march. Which can weigh up to 20 kg.
• BCCT--Basic Close Combat Training. Most hated of all courses, since "sadistic" instructors freely mete out punishments at noon. Recruits learn the art of punching, kicking and rifle slamming.

  Common Usage: "@#$%, that guy really pisses me off..one day I shall BCCT him ah..."

  
  
• BIC---known as Battle Induction Course. Usually the last part of field camp. Recruits have to crawl under barb wires on hot sand on noon, with a Machine gun firing above. Makes recruits so sandy that ppl will think that we just came from the desert.
• Camou Cream: Edible green/black paste which is used to smear our faces.
  
• Canteen break/E-mart break---Time that recruits enjoy at night. A privilege.
• CAT 1: Another term for lightning-prone areas. Everyone in the field must seek nearest shelter.
  
• Cheap Labour---Official name for sai gang. See "Sai Gang"
• "Chao Kheng": Jia Zhua (eat snake)/slack
  
• Colonel---the highest ranking officer in BMT. Anybody within 50 m radius of him must salute (to him).
• Confinement---A form of punishment which recruits have to sign. Self-explanatory.
• Fastcraft: A nicer name for the slow-moving ferry.
  
• FBO---Full Battle Order. Official name for barang barang. See above.
• Field Camp---euphemism for it is "7 day package tour around Tekong". Recruits learn to live and be one with nature.
• Five BX--Five Basic Exercises. A morning ritual.
  
• Foxhole---misleading name. It is actually a deep narrow trench up to 2m deep that can protect 2 people. Takes 10 people to dig one.
• GAC---grenade assault course. Recruits will get to throw only 1 grenade throughout their 2 years of NS.
• Heli evac---helicopter evacuation. Only for cases so serious that he has to be send back to mainland to be treated.
• Hell---what sergeants give you during the first few weeks of BMT.
  
• IMT----the place where recruits train to be virtual marksman, using a computer simulated program to shoot at virtual enemies.
• IPPT---NAPFA without the sit and reach.
• Kiwi---Not the New Zealander Bird. A brand of boot polish used extensively by recruits. Often, the floor is stained in black.

  Eg: "You testing my patience is it? You got kiwi your boots or not?" Recruit is supposed to say "No" *ominous*
  

• Knock it down/Half left down---The old time favourite punishment meted out by all sergeants. Upon hearing this command, recruits must clap twice, raise their right fist in the air (shouting their company name at the same time), and get in position. Permission must be asked to carry on. Recovery follows the same process.

  Eg: "Whole lot of you, knock it down". "Clap, Clap , "Scorpion!" "Permission to carry on sergeant" "Carry on, Down" "One" "Down" "Two" and so on (ranges from 5-40)

• LAW: Light Anti-Tank Weapon. Job in SIT test(see below) that everyone hates to be, besides the medic. A long cylindrical metal blob weighing 10kg, which the poor chap has to carry throughout SIT. Most likely he will be cursing during Sniper and Arti drills (see above, and below)
  
• Live Range---Shooting live rounds with your rifle.
  
• Marksman---the title one gets if he manages to hit 28/32 of his targets.
• Medic--A job class in SIT (see below), in which the guy has to carry an additional stretcher with him all the time.
• Middle Finger---Another hand signal for enemy firing machine gun nearby.
  
• MO---medical officer, which gives mostly Panadol to recruits.
• Panadol---The "cure-all" drug given by MO to recruits.
• OT---Out of Training.
  
• OT, OT---Own time, own target. Only happens at the end of BMT, when the company has nothing for you to do, and you are free to carry out your own personal activities.
  
• Rifle/2nd wife/wife---the weapon that you carry with you for most of your waking time. She is oily, needs maintainance and smells of gunpowder everytime you shoot with her.
• "Sai Gang"---behind the scene, unappreciated jobs that recruits do, such as packing food rations, filling water cans, clear rubbish, etc. Cheap Labour.
• Quartermaster: Private/Sergeant in charge of organising and directing the "Sai Gang" warriors
  
• Sergeants--your superiors that teach you the most Hokkien vulgarities.
• Platoon Sergeant---Guy that gives you hell
• Shellscrape--A trench that looks like a coffin that you have to dig and sleep in.
  
• SIT test---SItuational Test. A 3 day programme in which most recruits wayang (see Wayang) to impress the assessor, on their leadership qualitities. Everyone is assigned a job class. (See LAW, medic)Obstacles have to be overcome as a team, with a team comprising people you have never seen before. The assessors only assess people during the discussion, hence the " wayang" phenomenon.
• Sniper drill---When that happens, someone has the luxury of becoming a casualty. Everyone else must carry his barang barang, put him on a stretcher and run for the next 1km (while at the same time cursing the bugger). The slower we are, the angrier the assessors, the more the casualties. Can end up half the team carrying the other half. Happens most in SIT test.
  

  Eg: "Nabei, sniper drill again. That @#$%@# must be slacking ah, kena casualty. "

  
  
• SOC---Standard Obstacle Course. Most tiring of all courses.

  Common Usage: "...SOC, sibei jialat; IPPT, lagi worse...

  
  
• Stand-By Bed/Area/Universe---Excuse for sergeants to punish you for every dirt they find in your living quarters, no matter how hard we clean the area. Also a chance for sergeants to ogle at your girlfriends' photos. If they find them attractive, the compliant recruit is persuaded to "network". Comes along with Knock it down (see above)
• Take your time---Official Name for "Ba Long Long" See above.
  
• Wayang---an act of pretense, expressing desired qualities such as leadership, when most likely they do not possess.
  
• Welfare---a generous act of giving recruits rest, once the superiors feel that they have put in their best. A rare term in BMT.
• Warrant Officers---The veterans of SAF. They have been in SAF longer than your age, hence they know every loophole in the system and are flexible. Responsible for giving recruits welfare (see above). Recruits should shout for joy if they are posted in the few companies where they are in charge.

Latest edition of Coxford Dictionary for BMTers, compiled in 2005. Subject to change. Any resemblance to real-life examples is not purely coincidental.