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Dec 4, 2009
Changes to BMT
By Jermyn Chow
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The Chief of Army Neo Kian Hong announced this and other changes to the BMT programme that go into effect from December -- ST PHOTO: DESMOND FOO
<!-- story content : start --> BASIC military training, that rite of passage for Singapore men, is being tweaked further to ensure that more 18-year-olds emerge from it fit to fight. While it will remain the nine-week course for seven in 10 recruits, the changes will be drastic for males who are obese. This is when a male who is 1.65m tall weighs about 85kg, or has a body mass index of more than 27. Most of these men will have their course run for 19 instead of 15 weeks. A smaller number who tip the scales with a body mass index above 35 will also have 19 weeks of training, down from the current 26 weeks. In all, about 10 per cent of Singapore's 20,000 or so enlistees are classified as obese. While 85 per cent of them graduate from the course combat-fit, the Singapore Armed Forces thinks it can do better. Another group who will be affected by changes to BMT are those with medical conditions, which constrain them from certain types of activity such as long route marches. Their BMT will go up from seven to nine weeks; this group forms about six per cent of the cohort.
Read the full story in Saturday's edition of The Straits Times.
Home > Breaking News > Singapore > Story
Dec 4, 2009
Changes to BMT
By Jermyn Chow
<!-- end by line -->
The Chief of Army Neo Kian Hong announced this and other changes to the BMT programme that go into effect from December -- ST PHOTO: DESMOND FOO
<!-- story content : start --> BASIC military training, that rite of passage for Singapore men, is being tweaked further to ensure that more 18-year-olds emerge from it fit to fight. While it will remain the nine-week course for seven in 10 recruits, the changes will be drastic for males who are obese. This is when a male who is 1.65m tall weighs about 85kg, or has a body mass index of more than 27. Most of these men will have their course run for 19 instead of 15 weeks. A smaller number who tip the scales with a body mass index above 35 will also have 19 weeks of training, down from the current 26 weeks. In all, about 10 per cent of Singapore's 20,000 or so enlistees are classified as obese. While 85 per cent of them graduate from the course combat-fit, the Singapore Armed Forces thinks it can do better. Another group who will be affected by changes to BMT are those with medical conditions, which constrain them from certain types of activity such as long route marches. Their BMT will go up from seven to nine weeks; this group forms about six per cent of the cohort.
Read the full story in Saturday's edition of The Straits Times.
