And therefore it's a privilege to serve the Familee and its FTrash pets?
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR>Troops get some chill-out time
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Far away from civilisation in Rockhampton, SAF men and women relax after training by watching a Hong Kong drama serial. -- ST PHOTO: LIM SIN THAI
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<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->AFTER a hard day of training out in the rugged terrain of Rockhampton's Shoalwater Bay, the more than 1,000 men and women taking part in the Singapore Armed Forces' Exercise Wallaby chill out by going online for a connection with the outside world.
Out there in the largely flat bushland, far from civilisation, sits Camp Growl, one of four camps in the training area.
It is kitted out with 10 Internet terminals, seven telephone lines with which to call loved ones and a wide, flat-screen television to play a stash of DVD movies.
Chilled beer and wine round off the pleasure.
Better yet, all these modern conveniences and luxuries are available round the clock.
Many of the troops ditch their green fatigues for shorts and T-shirts as they chat online or by telephone with their families and friends. More than a few log on to the popular social networking site Facebook.
Others prefer to catch up with the news back home and around the world by logging into news websites and blogs.
'I don't want to be cut off from the rest of the world,' said Corporal Tan Loong Tze, 20, a full-time national serviceman with the military police command.
Most of the troops told The Straits Times that they spend about half an hour online or on the phone at least twice a week - good enough for the 45-day period of the exercise.
Lance-Corporal Chan Eng Lye, a technician based in Camp Growl, said: 'It perks you up a little as it gets really lonely down here.'
He is part of a logistics advance group responsible for setting up the area and feeding the soldiers.
Second-Lieutenant Melvin Chng, glad for the creature comforts provided, said: 'I even got to watch Pirates Of The Caribbean.'
JERMYN CHOW
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR>Troops get some chill-out time
</TR><!-- headline one : end --><!-- show image if available --><TR vAlign=bottom><TD width=330>
</TD><TD width=10>
Far away from civilisation in Rockhampton, SAF men and women relax after training by watching a Hong Kong drama serial. -- ST PHOTO: LIM SIN THAI
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->AFTER a hard day of training out in the rugged terrain of Rockhampton's Shoalwater Bay, the more than 1,000 men and women taking part in the Singapore Armed Forces' Exercise Wallaby chill out by going online for a connection with the outside world.
Out there in the largely flat bushland, far from civilisation, sits Camp Growl, one of four camps in the training area.
It is kitted out with 10 Internet terminals, seven telephone lines with which to call loved ones and a wide, flat-screen television to play a stash of DVD movies.
Chilled beer and wine round off the pleasure.
Better yet, all these modern conveniences and luxuries are available round the clock.
Many of the troops ditch their green fatigues for shorts and T-shirts as they chat online or by telephone with their families and friends. More than a few log on to the popular social networking site Facebook.
Others prefer to catch up with the news back home and around the world by logging into news websites and blogs.
'I don't want to be cut off from the rest of the world,' said Corporal Tan Loong Tze, 20, a full-time national serviceman with the military police command.
Most of the troops told The Straits Times that they spend about half an hour online or on the phone at least twice a week - good enough for the 45-day period of the exercise.
Lance-Corporal Chan Eng Lye, a technician based in Camp Growl, said: 'It perks you up a little as it gets really lonely down here.'
He is part of a logistics advance group responsible for setting up the area and feeding the soldiers.
Second-Lieutenant Melvin Chng, glad for the creature comforts provided, said: 'I even got to watch Pirates Of The Caribbean.'
JERMYN CHOW
