One of the most unforgettable experiences for any Singaporean going through National Service (NS) is setting foot on Pulau Tekong for the first time.

To document the occasion, TikTok user JH uploaded a video on July 6 of her brother's enlistment day. 

"Follow me as I send my brother to Resort Island Tekong," she quipped.  

At the start of the video, she can be seen showing clips of her family waiting to take the bus to The SAF Ferry Terminal in Changi. 

"My brother is totally not feeling it," JH said when they reached the terminal. 

"He has been dreading this day for days."  

Upon boarding the ferry, JH confessed that it was "much better than expected" and that it reminded her of ferries she had taken overseas. 

When they reached Tekong, the families took a bus tour around the island. 

Some things they saw included obstacle courses that the recruits had to go through during training. 

They even went past recruits who waved at them. 

After the bus ride, the families were taken to the bunks. 

There, they were shown the bunk beds. 

JH tried one of them and ended up bumping her head. 

"I had to sit on it and try. And stupid me had to bounce on it and hit my head," she recounted.

Then, they were shown the bags, equipment and food rations which will be given to the new recruits.

At around 4pm, the families were brought to the NS Gallery and JH, who is expecting a baby soon, was already feeling pretty drained. 

"The pregnant me was so tired," she said. 

Thankfully, they were soon led to the auditorium where they watched the recruits recite their oath. 

After that, they got to try some of the food the recruits would be eating in camp. 

That particular meal consisted of rice, sambal, long beans and a chicken wing. 

"The food was okay, the chilli was great," JH reviewed. 

That was also the last meal the families would have with their boys in a long time as soon, it was time for them to book in. 

"It's actually quite emotional," JH admitted, adding that she and some of the parents cried. 

AsiaOne has reached out to JH for more details.

In the comments, several netizens who served in the army reminisced about their NS days. 

One netizen shared that the experience is "so different" from what he went through three decades ago. 

He added that the first day is the easiest of the two and a half years that the recruits would spend in the army.

Another amused netizen pointed out bunks the families saw were the unrealistic version of what the recruits actually live in. 

Some also shared their experiences of being enlisted during the Covid-19 pandemic. 

One pointed out that enlisting during that period was "sad" as they had to go in alone and not experience the first day with their loved ones. 

On the other end of the spectrum, another netizen said that it was "not so bad" as a lot of activities were "cut off and relaxed". 

ALSO READ: Their careers were inspired by their national service stints

melissateo@asiaone.com

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