Military recruits who were affected by a seven-week suspension of their basic military training (BMT) will complete it two to four weeks later than scheduled.
This is so that they can complete their syllabus and training, which include heat acclimatisation and building fitness, said Lieutenant-Colonel Lim Yew Sheng, commanding officer of Basic Military Training Centre School 4, yesterday.
LTC Lim was speaking to reporters at the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) Ferry Terminal on the first day of the resumption of BMT.
About 1,500 recruits reported back for duty yesterday, out of the 6,300 who will resume BMT, which was suspended in line with Singapore's two-month circuit breaker period that started on April 7.
Reporting dates have been staggered from yesterday to June 7 so that safe distancing measures can be implemented.
Two batches of recruits were affected by the BMT suspension.
The earlier batch, which enlisted between February and last month, will have their graduation delayed by four weeks. They were supposed to complete it next month but will now do so in July.
The later batch, which "administratively enlisted" last month and this month but did not have to physically report to camp until the current period, will face a shorter delay of their graduation of about two weeks.
The Ministry of Defence previously said the BMT suspension would not affect servicemen's operationally ready date, which marks the completion of their full-time service.
Recruits yesterday reported with their field packs and duffel bags at Selarang Camp, in Loyang, and two locations at Pasir Ris Bus Interchange.
As part of their health screening, they were required to have their temperatures taken and submit a health declaration before they boarded the buses - which took in only half the usual number of people - to the ferry terminal on the way to Pulau Tekong.
Their reporting time was staggered between and within companies, which each has 200 to 250 people, from 12.30pm to after 8pm.
LTC Lim said that the resumption of BMT, which was announced on May 19, was important because of the need to train new soldiers to maintain operational readiness for the army and the SAF.
He said measures in place include deploying commanders on the ground to ensure safe distancing, having recruits keep to their groups - four groups per platoon - and placing hand sanitiser in every bunk.
"On top of (these measures) we also have progressive training when they are back in Tekong. We have a structured heat acclimatisation programme for the recruits to follow - this allows them to build up their stamina and fitness progressively," he said.
"We're not going to rush into training. We will start with basic progressive training, meaning their physical training will be regulated to build up their stamina," he said, adding that recruits also had to go through a home-based programme to help them maintain basic fitness during the BMT suspension.
Basic training for about 1,700 trainees from the Singapore Police Force and Singapore Civil Defence Force also resumed yesterday, with reporting dates until June 8.
