National Service, despite the claims of ardours or tough grinds, is a passage of rite for young Singaporeans, whom are exposed to our Multi-racial society, taught & trained to gel as one to serve & protect our Nation, whom is made up of ALL fellow citizens in our country. It is ULTIMATELY to protect loved ones, & NONE can do it alone, but only by COLLECTIVE & trained effort can we all save everyone should any disaster strikes - biological or the physical threats & harms.
There is one aspect of Leadership trg - regardless if one is a Non Commissioned Officer or Officer trainee within each units of our Military whom are tasked to LEAD fellow citizens that not many will know. It is the Moral Dilemma test, that one would not be graded, as there is NO right or wrong in a decision made as a leader.
It is a decision a leader will eventually face in battles - to save one or to save the many in REAL LIFE, while tested on an ongoing simulated battle.
There is no right or wrong answer because those whom are saved will praise him as a leader for saving their lives, but those whom were 'test mission' declared lost or died, or those whom were friends of the lost who remained alive will anathematize him for life, even if it was just a mere training exercise. He will have to grapple with his decision made, & at times will suffer PTSD for the guilt, if he is weak minded & not rational enough.
It will only be on the next training mission that the leader will be graded, on HOW he HANDLED the after-effects of his decision, that will prove him a worthy leader of Humans - how he explains & MOTIVATE the naysayers, & even himself to complete & bring further missions to success.
Such is NO easy task, as it will need a leader to be rational, cold, methodical & clinical, to achieve success at ALL costs. Such only turns one into a robot, with no emotions & feelings, & ultimately, may turn a mission from success to disaster instead as such assumptions will only place other lives as expendable when there may be OTHER 'fuzzy' proven Human options available for others to live than the robot can presume within its flawed Human input parameters.
It is LOVE, for oneself & others that compels one to the greatest height in achievements of life, which is why often only the married are trusted to be leaders, as they had proven to have emotions, care & commitments to honor the sacred oaths of marriage come hell or high water, & are NOT emotionless AI robots.
My salute to those fellow Humans, & may they find all means to stay together, honoring their sacred oaths, & find happiness together always & courage to adapt together in an imperfect World & imperfect Humankind.