Private Muhammad Hadi Abdul Hairy, a self-described introvert who spent the past six years in New Zealand after his family migrated there, had worries about fitting in with his camp mates when he enlisted for national service in Singapore.

Staying in camp during basic military training (BMT) meant he had to sleep in the same room as strangers. But he soon became friends with them as they all learnt about the importance of teamwork, said the 18-year-old Singaporean.

Having to serve NS meant he had to overcome his shy personality, said Pte Hadi, now a supply assistant for general equipment at the Army Logistics Training Institute.

"I had to interact with new people, which to me was quite a big challenge. But I knew that to survive the four months of BMT, I had to step out of my comfort zone and talk to others, who would later help me out during training," he said.

In returning to serve NS as his two older brothers had done, he was doing his part for the country, he said. It was also an opportunity for him to meet his relatives after not seeing them since he was 12.

After spending his childhood in Singapore, he moved to New Zealand with his family in 2014, but returned to Singapore last January to enlist for NS.

"Being back in Singapore, it felt kind of reassuring being around more people who speak with a Singapore accent," said Pte Hadi, whose two older brothers are also in Singapore.

One is aged 22 and working as an auxiliary police officer after completing his full-time NS with the Police Coast Guard, while the other is 19 and serving as a military driver at Sembawang Camp.

In Whangarei, New Zealand, Pte Hadi's father is a coatings inspector, while his mother is a housewife who cares for his nine-year-old sister and four-year-old brother.

Pte Hadi said that having their BMT amid the Covid-19 pandemic meant that his batch of recruits could not graduate at the Marina Bay floating platform.

But this did not dampen his learning experience.

"I have learnt and experienced new things I don't think I would have if I wasn't in NS. These include grenade throwing, live firing, close-quarters combat, which was a very exciting experience.

"Even with Covid-19 restrictions, we could still have fun and learn many things while being safe."

This article has been edited for clarity.