Hard Light Productions Forums
Off-Topic Discussion => General Discussion => Topic started by: Androgeos Exeunt on April 20, 2011, 11:07:04 pm
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For those who are not familiar with how conscription works in Singapore, please see this Wikipedia article (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conscription_in_Singapore) and consult the Enlistment (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conscription_in_Singapore#Enlistment) section.
I went downstairs to collect the mail this morning when I noticed an orange envelope from the Ministry of Defence. It was addressed to my mum, but because the background of the front was tiled with "PARENT'S LETTER", I knew it was referring to me, so when I got home, I sorted out the junk mail before opening it.
The inside of the envelope contained a pink slip in addition to a block of text. An excerpt of the text in the envelope follows. The time on it is Singapore Standard Time, GMT/UTC+8.
Dear Sir / Mdm,
1. This is to inform you that your son/ward has been scheduled for enlistment into full-time National Service on 09 Jun 2011 at 12:45 PM.
2. We would like to invite you to witness your son/ward's enlistment at the unit. Enclosed is a copy of the unit's invitation letter.
The pink slip is a letter from the training centre. An excerpt of the text follows.
Please be informed that your son will be enlisted for full-time National Service. He will be posted to Pulau Tekong (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pulau_Tekong) for Basic Military Training.
[Insert transportation and enlistment ceremony details here]
So ... yeah, I've been called up.
My lecturers and schoolmates who have served or are currently serving the military tell me that National Service is actually more boring than it sounds or looks. Having never seen the inside of the Singaporean military machine, I'm still feeling rather nervous about it, even though I do my best not to be scared away by the stereotypes that surrounds National Service.
I have one month to put my affairs in order. This basically means getting a haircut, a new pair of spectacles and sending a PM to Darius.
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Holy ****. That's heavy.
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Yeah, that sucks, they are basically throwing away all your plans and putting this new one in place... hell no!
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We'll keep the Beams warm and the Thrusters hot for ya.
Keep your head level, and hopefully it all turns out fine.
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It was nice having you here AE. :salute:
May your military service be brief and devoid of surprises.
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Yeah, that sucks, they are basically throwing away all your plans and putting this new one in place... hell no!
The Wikipedia entry says that "requires all male Singaporean citizens and second-generation permanent residents who have reached the age of 18 to enrol in the military. They serve a two-year period as Full Time National Servicemen (NSFs), either in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), Singapore Police Force (SPF), or the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF)."
Not a bad deal, I guess. It's sort of like the mandatory university in the States. :\ At least you get to see the workings of the system and determine whether or not you think it's a good idea to keep it. Good luck. My brother just joined the military, I'm going to see his bootcamp graduation soon. It seems like he's really enjoying it so far. :)
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You'll be fine, Andro. :) Have any idea of a specialization you want to go for?
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You'll be fine, Andro. :) Have any idea of a specialization you want to go for?
They might provide you with some good training in whatever technology they use. It might be of some use after you've finished.
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If your commanders are honerable people, I believe that your service will make you all the better as a person. That is at least what I can cite from my ROTC experience.
In all, what I also found is as far as you do not quit, you will not fail. Good luck and many blessings, Andro.
:)
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Stay safe, stay smart, stay strong. We'll keep you in mind.
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You ain't no fortunate son?
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Good luck mate and I hope you come out of it well, I for one is look forward to hearing Some of your exploits of the next 2+ years
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Well good luck to you!
I'm basically gonna avoid conscription and leave this country I'm in.
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Aren't you still subject to conscription if you're a citizen of the country?
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I wish you the best of luck, Androgeos. At any rate, you'll get through this, if you can survive the harsh debates of General Discussion. :P
You ain't no fortunate son?
SOME FOLKS ARE BORN TO WAAAAAAVE THE FLAG
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Can you get out of it by going to school?
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I wish you the best of luck, Androgeos. At any rate, you'll get through this, if you can survive the harsh debates of General Discussion. :P
You ain't no fortunate son?
SOME FOLKS ARE BORN TO WAAAAAAVE THE FLAG
And in this case, they're just red and white.
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Have fun :)
(http://i56.tinypic.com/9k4e82.jpg)
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(http://chzgifs.files.wordpress.com/2010/05/arniemetaljacket.gif)
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Oh.
Well, this is awkward.
/has a deferment
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/has a deferment
You're my hero, man.
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I managed to get out of mine. Kept postponing it due to being in college, and then they got rid of the whole compulsory military service thing. I didn't complain :P
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You get something like a three year jail sentence if you don't serve while being eligible to serve in Singapore, though.
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So, you can spend two years rolling in mud and being yelled at by kids who outrank you, or you can spend 3 years in peace and quiet with the government picking up the bill for your accommodation and food.. hmm.. tough one :P (before someone starts explaining how wrong I am and how you get anally probed in prisons, I *am* joking here)
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Interesting story I heard about NS (may or may not be true), one guy was able to get away with saying he was "allergic" to sunlight or something. The Drill Sergeant carried an umbrella around for him.
Another guy said he gets panic attacks around firearms and was exempted from a fair number of training exercises. So instead he went home and played CoD.
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WATCH OUT (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pulau_Tekong#Runaway_elephants) while on station :lol: keep your head down through basic and use the month to GET FITTER as well as getting your stuff in order. IE Jogging, Press ups, Sits ups. Best advice i can give you is to try doing 5-10 every day and increase the number as you go along.
It WILL make life easier. Also Shouting is not personal, the beatings will continue until morale improves, and quitters never win, winners never quit.
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In the hindsight my army service had its bad moments, but the outcome is actually rather positive. It was the best school that really prepares for life that I have so far attended. I only realized this years later, though. So it's not that bad, and unless you have a physical handicap, you can get through it. Trust me, time goes fast there.
Originally everybody thought that the riflemen have it worst (even in peace time), but based on what I heard from other branches of service, being a rifleman was actually the most interesting choice (again, in peace time). Plenty of variety there. But this applies for Defence Forces here, I don't know the system in Singapore.
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WATCH OUT (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pulau_Tekong#Runaway_elephants) while on station :lol: keep your head down through basic and use the month to GET FITTER as well as getting your stuff in order. IE Jogging, Press ups, Sits ups. Best advice i can give you is to try doing 5-10 every day and increase the number as you go along.
It WILL make life easier. Also Shouting is not personal, the beatings will continue until morale improves, and quitters never win, winners never quit.
Ditto on this. 1000x.
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Aren't you still subject to conscription if you're a citizen of the country?
I'm not interested in being citizen of this country anymore. It was kinda outa my hands when it happened. You don't have many choices when you're 11.
I know that might kinda put me in bad light, but if you wasted seven years in one place, you'd probably want to leave, too.
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A'ight, fair enough.
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WATCH OUT (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pulau_Tekong#Runaway_elephants) while on station :lol: keep your head down through basic and use the month to GET FITTER as well as getting your stuff in order. IE Jogging, Press ups, Sits ups. Best advice i can give you is to try doing 5-10 every day and increase the number as you go along.
It WILL make life easier. Also Shouting is not personal, the beatings will continue until morale improves, and quitters never win, winners never quit.
Ditto on this. 1000x.
So.......... How goes the Exer-mah-cise?
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He's busy beta-testing. :P
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Oh dear.
I REAAAALLLLLLLLLY hope that Singapore armed forces don't push/beast/motivate/encourage physical fitness improvement as "aggressively" as my fair Army.
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My mum fell ill yesterday, so I've been staying at home taking care of stuff. I try to go out to the beach and exercise when I can, but if I can't, I do my exercise indoors.
Yes, I also have to deal with beta-testing, but I cannot test the missions properly if I do not have a Mac-compatible BP build.
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Yeah, physical fitness definitely isn't something you want to put off.
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2 Minutes of push ups, 2 Minutes of situps every morning, and run everywhere you'd normally walk to, Ie - shops, school. If you run out of breath, just walk briskly til you catch it again and ZOOOoooooooooomm!!
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Come on guys, who's the drill sergeant supposed to yell at if he does everything right? :P
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Drill sergeant will still yell at you even if you do everything right :p
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Drill sergeant will still yell at you even if you do everything right :p
This, is, FACT. :lol: To forge a soldier, the civilian identity must be smashed, broken, obliterated. Then you are able to be rebuilt, remade in the ideal image.
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I know, I know. It's just more fun /to the observer/ if the recruit doesn't do everything right.
*newman grabs some popcorn and makes a mental note to re-watch Full Metal Jacket in anticipation of andro's reports :P
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I BET YOU CAN SUCK A GOLF BALL THROUGH A GARDEN HOSE!
(http://i56.tinypic.com/9k4e82.jpg)
Keep your head down. Dont be put off by them changing your mentality into that of a soldier like my cousin was. My cousin wasn't ok with this given fact about the military (he would have saved himself time and and his parents money had he done a little more research).
Lastly, when in the military, don't let the hot air get to your head.
I say this because i've run into a bunch of assholes (mainly 18-20+ year olds) in the military who are way too full of themselves. They will probably want to make you feel like your invincible and what not.
Good luck, and i hope, have fun.
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Even if you do everything right, the drill sergeant will still look at you and be like "And you! You're too ****ing...BLOND! (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fight_Club_(film))"
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:bump:
Tomorrow's my last day before enlistment. I'll spend it packing a small bag with the stuff I need and discharging my MacBook's battery to below half. At the very least, I'll be gone for two weeks. After that, you may occasionally see me drop by during the weekend, meaning that I've managed to secure leave during. My enlistment period is two full years, after which I am still liable to be called back for re-service annually until I reach 40 years of age.
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Good luck, and get back here safe! :)
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Diaspora, WIH3, and BWO and Machine Terra will all be waiting for you ;)
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Oh crap, did you just put a deadline on BWO and MT?
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:nervous: ummm, no.....
:warp:
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Well good luck mate
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Take care of yourself, Androgeos.
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Get in there, mate. All shall be well. :D
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Even if you do everything right, the drill sergeant will still look at you and be like "And you! You're too ****ing...BLOND! (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fight_Club_(film))"
that movie is awesome.
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good luck
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Hope everything goes all right.
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Good luck Andro.
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Best of luck to you. See you in World War 3. :nervous:
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All right, I'm done packing, and I have somewhere between six to seven hours of sleep before morning comes. When it does, I'll wash up, eat a meal, double-check what I need to bring and leave. I'll be gone for at least two weeks, at most two years.
Goodbye, everybody, and take care of yourselves.
~ exeunt
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Good luck Andro! :(
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It's not a good bye Androgeos, it's a 'catch you all later'. :)
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Right, I'm back, for about two days, and then I'll be going back again. Managed to sustain a few abrasions that may require proper medical attention. My old knee injury is coming back due to the intensive training, so I think I've secured an appointment with a specialist to get it looked at properly. I'm not sure what will come out of it, but this knee injury severely limits my ability to squat and, to a larger extent, do squatting exercises.
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I think if it's only the physical aspect of it that's a bother you're doing pretty good.
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Well hey, if you need knee surgery, that'll be some decent leave time :) I tore my ACL and medial meniscal ligament, and the expected post-op rehab period is 6-9 months before returning to full activity levels.
Good luck with that, man! Wishing you the best.
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I haven't been lurking HLP forums for long, but good luck! I'm fixing to do some time in the service myself (although I live in the US, not Singapore).
Keep your head down and your nose clean, and you'll be more than fine. It's valuable experience and you can learn a lot about who you are. I don't know much about how it works in Singapore, but if you can get them to send you to uni, take advantage of that! Most importantly, just keep a positive outlook and remember that whatever doesn't kill you will make you stronger. Yeah, it's cliche, but it's true.
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Most importantly, just keep a positive outlook and remember that whatever doesn't kill you will make you stronger. Yeah, it's cliche, but it's true.
Except Polio :p
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Most importantly, just keep a positive outlook and remember that whatever doesn't kill you will make you stronger. Yeah, it's cliche, but it's true.
Except Polio :p
And amputations.
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Most importantly, just keep a positive outlook and remember that whatever doesn't kill you will make you stronger. Yeah, it's cliche, but it's true.
Except Polio :p
And amputations.
I find this one to be not funny :rolleyes:
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Most importantly, just keep a positive outlook and remember that whatever doesn't kill you will make you stronger. Yeah, it's cliche, but it's true.
Except Polio :p
And amputations.
That definitely won't be true when we perfect cyborg replacement limbs! :cool:
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Most importantly, just keep a positive outlook and remember that whatever doesn't kill you will make you stronger. Yeah, it's cliche, but it's true.
Except Polio :p
And amputations.
That definitely won't be true when we perfect cyborg replacement limbs! :cool:
at this point the availability of robotic prosthetic limbs comes down to one thing, how much money/skill do you have. servos, sensors, microcontrollers, cnc fabrication machines, pcb mills, all off the shelf parts. seen some pretty cool artificial appendages on many a maker site. only thing we still dont have is a neural interface, or do we? medical researchers are always making advancements with brain-implantable electrode array chips that have allowed the blind to see and quadriplegics to do things other than looking around.
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at this point the availability of robotic prosthetic limbs comes down to one thing, how much money/skill do you have. servos, sensors, microcontrollers, cnc fabrication machines, pcb mills, all off the shelf parts. seen some pretty cool artificial appendages on many a maker site. only thing we still dont have is a neural interface, or do we? medical researchers are always making advancements with brain-implantable electrode array chips that have allowed the blind to see and quadriplegics to do things other than looking around.
One of my buddies is a ChemE looking at med school, and did Neuroscience for a couple years. There is a lot of research into bionic limbs with a right and proper neural interface, but he tells me that there are some problems. Apparently it's not as simple as using electrodes to connect one's nervous impulses to the prosthesis' wires; I don't recall all the details, but there are apparently synchronization and timing issues with systems that work with a direct connection.
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One of my buddies is a ChemE looking at med school, and did Neuroscience for a couple years. There is a lot of research into bionic limbs with a right and proper neural interface, but he tells me that there are some problems. Apparently it's not as simple as using electrodes to connect one's nervous impulses to the prosthesis' wires; I don't recall all the details, but there are apparently synchronization and timing issues with systems that work with a direct connection.
And you know that when someone perfects the first set that works as expected and desired, it's more than likely going to be from Japan and called Automail.
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Hey, Ghost in the Shell came well before Fullmetal Alchemist, and that series was largely about the societal implications of prosthetic bodies.
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Hey, Ghost in the Shell came well before Fullmetal Alchemist, and that series was largely about the societal implications of prosthetic bodies.
Agreed, however, GitS is known more for the full body replacement and the thermoptic camo (to which, some Japanese group has already made a prototype that works a lot like it). FMA is known for automail and alchemy.
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I have secured an appointment at a government clinic tomorrow morning, and I still have this weekend off. Let's see what happens.
The condition of my left knee is starting to deteriorate at a slow but steady pace. In order to compensate, I've shifted some load, such as during standing parades, to my right foot, but even that feels like it is reaching its limits. Resting doesn't help my left knee, or at least, not significantly; strenuous exercise worsens it.
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Wow that sucks, hope you get well. I hear from people that the army stresses the new recruits during BMT pretty hard, I'd be assed to defect when I get called up next year to Pulau Tekong or something too :P
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at this point the availability of robotic prosthetic limbs comes down to one thing, how much money/skill do you have. servos, sensors, microcontrollers, cnc fabrication machines, pcb mills, all off the shelf parts. seen some pretty cool artificial appendages on many a maker site. only thing we still dont have is a neural interface, or do we? medical researchers are always making advancements with brain-implantable electrode array chips that have allowed the blind to see and quadriplegics to do things other than looking around.
One of my buddies is a ChemE looking at med school, and did Neuroscience for a couple years. There is a lot of research into bionic limbs with a right and proper neural interface, but he tells me that there are some problems. Apparently it's not as simple as using electrodes to connect one's nervous impulses to the prosthesis' wires; I don't recall all the details, but there are apparently synchronization and timing issues with systems that work with a direct connection.
timing issues yes but thats not something that cant be delt with in software/hardware. output simply requires the electrode grid to pick up the impulses over an area of the correct part of the brain. each electrode reads a large cluster of nerve cells, not individual neurons. were not yet at a point where we could connect one wire to one neuron (you would need some pretty advanced nanotech for that). the resolution and size of the grid is definitely a factor. the more electrodes and the more area is covered, the more information the computer has about what the operator is trying to do. its sorta like a ccd in a digital camera. of course more electrodes means more electronics, since you need an adc to read each electrode (neural impulses are mostly analog). also each electrode will likely need some analog processing circuitry in addition to an adc, and some memory to buffer the data while it waits for the cpu to process it. you could put all this stuff on one chip, a simple feat of semiconductor fabrication (neural interface chip is not an off the shelf part, yet). you also have packaging, the chip itself would need support parts, power (induction power coil, battery, glucose fuel cell that runs on blood) and a means to communicate (rf transceiver, through the skin optical interface, trans-dermal wiring) with an external receiver, all in a bio-resistant package small enough to fit in yer skull.
the heavy work is actually done on the cpu. it needs to associate patterns of impulses with actions. these patterns are likely subtle and contain information about what exactly you are trying to do with your missing limb. the real work is training both the computer and the patient to understand each-other. the computer needs to build a database of impulse signatures and mappings to actions to be carried out by the actuators, while the patient needs to train their brain to be consistent in its impulses, mainly through trial and error. you also have issues with processing speed, you will have some latency between the impulse and the computer figuring out what to do with it.
ive seen several documentaries on the subject, and what ive seen seems to indicate that the technology is viable for the most part. there are still bugs to hammer out of the technology, and its still fairly crude (like seeing human guinea pigs with a large metal apparatus potruding from their skulls) but what has been done so far is pretty cool.
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The condition of my left knee is slowly but steadily deteriorating. With every passing day in camp, I feel the pain intensify slightly. Resting improves its condition by a negligible amount; physical training worsens it.
I paid a visit to a government clinic yesterday, and they have requested me to follow up with them on Monday. However, my camp will not let me leave unless I have written evidence. The memorandum I have, which will be shown to them, has the day typed correctly, but the date typed wrong (an honest mistake), so I am not sure if it is valid.
I called my Duty Sergeant. He instructed me to book in as per normal, but bring the issue up with tomorrow's Duty Sergeant.
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I booked out in the afternoon and am expected to book back in within the next two hours. I'm now at home, resting for a while.
I have a second appointment tomorrow at a hospital. Most likely I will be doing a bit of physiotherapy there.
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Are they going to do any type of imaging to see what's going on with it? I think you had an old injury, right? Do you recall what you did to it?
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Ahhh physiotherapy! Usually very boring...
Hope you get better soon(?)
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Wow, your in the army now? That's some serious **** right there (yes I know I a little bit behind with events).
I hope you knee gets better and gets you some leave, I also wish you a boring and uneventful posting.
Also beware of people with an eye-patch, they have a habit of kidnapping unsuspecting soldiers for their private armies.
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The second appointment was a check-up with a doctor in a sports medicine facility. The doctor says that my kneecap slips off to the side whenever I bend my leg, but recovers when I straighten my leg. In the process, the kneecap grinds against the bone, causing a lot of discomfort and pain. He gave me two months' excuse from heavy duties and most leg exercises. The medical officer at camp endorsed the excuse and sent an Out-of-course Certificate to my Officer Commanding. He signed it.
During these two months, I will be having physiotherapy lessons about once a week. If the condition of my knee does not improve within two months, the Armed Forces may be compelled to reclassify me as being unable to serve on the frontlines.
The medical officer has given me a six-month out-of-course duration. During these six months, I will be doing administrative duties. Once the period is over, and if the condition of my knee improves, I will start training again from scratch.
If there is a doctor in the house, can somebody tell me what two months of weekly physiotherapy will do to a nine-year-old knee injury?
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Ive just been called up.....
but I told the guy I dont want a new mobile phone
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Sometimes I just don't understand the military. Armies today aren't held together by it's officers or soldiers; they're made possible by the average Joe who finances them, among other things, by going to work, punching a clock, and paying his taxes. I realize they don't want to make getting out of the army on medical grounds too easy to prevent everyone from trying it, but in some cases pulling people through the system for months (years?) makes little sense. I have a friend with epilepsy who was old enough to be called up before they got rid of the compulsory military service in Croatia. Instead of just declaring him unfit on the spot the moment he was diagnosed, the army spent years sending him to costly examinations every 6 months so he can give them a certificate proving he still has a medical condition for which there is no cure.
I don't get why they don't just release you from military service, under the circumstances; their course of action makes no sense to me. You had a 9 year old leg injury resulting in this condition right now. Don't get me wrong, I wish you total recovery, but it doesn't seem like a few months of physio-therapy are going to do that. From a purely practical point of view, the army can either spend money on your therapies, never getting a soldier they really want, or they can release you so you can get on with your life and career and in effect start financing them by becoming a tax-paying working man.
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I don't get why they don't just release you from military service, under the circumstances; their course of action makes no sense to me. You had a 9 year old leg injury resulting in this condition right now. Don't get me wrong, I wish you total recovery, but it doesn't seem like a few months of physio-therapy are going to do that. From a purely practical point of view, the army can either spend money on your therapies, never getting a soldier they really want, or they can release you so you can get on with your life and career and in effect start financing them by becoming a tax-paying working man.
I don't get it sometimes either. All I really know is that declaring a medical condition and getting it investigated during my two-year conscription period is a logistical minefield that I've already started wading into the moment I felt my knee condition worsening during training. I'll just have to go with it and see what comes out of it, because I don't see any other feasible option.
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They'll just end up giving you one of these... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y1CeBOWm67A (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y1CeBOWm67A)
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Good luck navigating that red tape minefield, Androgeos Exeunt. This reminds me of my cousin.. as a kid, he fell from a tree. This resulted in one of his kidneys.. slightly detaching from where it's supposed to be? Not really an expert in medical matters, but all I know is that one of his kidneys isn't where it's supposed to be. When they were doing a drafting medical examination, they said it doesn't matter and he's fit for service. So he got called up, and served about a month before they did a medical checkup on everyone in his unit. The doctor looked at photos of his kidney and literally asked "look, do you really want to be here? Because due to your kidney, I can have you home by the end of the week.." That's pretty much what happened.
On the other hand my friend with epilepsy had to spend years proving he still has something that can't be cured to those same people. Red tape - don't try to make sense of it, just try and navigate your way out as best you can :P
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Good luck navigating that red tape minefield, Androgeos Exeunt. This reminds me of my cousin.. as a kid, he fell from a tree. This resulted in one of his kidneys.. slightly detaching from where it's supposed to be? Not really an expert in medical matters, but all I know is that one of his kidneys isn't where it's supposed to be. When they were doing a drafting medical examination, they said it doesn't matter and he's fit for service. So he got called up, and served about a month before they did a medical checkup on everyone in his unit. The doctor looked at photos of his kidney and literally asked "look, do you really want to be here? Because due to your kidney, I can have you home by the end of the week.." That's pretty much what happened.
On the other hand my friend with epilepsy had to spend years proving he still has something that can't be cured to those same people. Red tape - don't try to make sense of it, just try and navigate your way out as best you can :P
it defiantly helps when like with your cousin you find a doctor willing to work the red tape from their end.
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Right, so I had my first physiotherapy appointment today. The therapist said that part of the reason why my knee winded up this way is because my quad muscles are incredibly weak. She told me to do some simple exercises everyday and to see her again within a fortnight.
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Well, good luck with that. it also wouldn't hurt to do some of your own research about the knee.
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Strap it up. Do what the physio says. Invest in weight sessions.
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I have been transferred out to a unit on the mainland. I get a job with office hours - 7 am or 8 am to 4 pm or 5 pm, Mondays to Fridays. I also get to go back home everyday except when they tell me to stay in. I don't know how long I'll stay in this unit, but definitely until my MC expires at least.