News: Marksmanship Awards Delayed For Some NSFs

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  Several hundred national servicemen - many of whom have already completed their mandatory two-year commitment to the Singapore Armed Forces - have not been paid merit bonuses due to them for aceing their marksmanship tests.

The Straits Times understands that about 300 full-time national servicemen (NSFs), most from the 1st Battalion, Singapore Infantry Regiment (1SIR), are affected.

They were to have been paid $200 each for scoring well on the tests, conducted last October. The Defence Ministry confirmed yesterday that the soldiers had not yet been paid. However, it refused to say how many men were affected. its spokesman, Colonel Darius Lim, said a technical glitch in the payment process" was to blame. He added that payments would be made next month, and that the SAF was in contact with those affected (techiewen: they did!? oh, speak of the devil, I JUST received an sms from them).

It is given to those who score at least 80% in their annual shooting test, which involves firing live rounds at targets over varying distances while on the move, and in different positions. Soldiers are also graded on how quickly they respond to moving targets from different directions.

Many of the affected soldiers said they were unhappy that there had been no official word to them about payment for months, even though many of the 1SIR servicemen completed their NSF stints in December. As a result, many of the men vented their frustrations online, on the social networking site Facebook. Several said they were angry about the delay in payment, while others speculated on the reasons for the non-payment. When contacted yesterday, several servicemen said they had not yet heard from MINDEF. But when told they would be paid next month, all said they were relieved that something was finally being done after months of silence from the SAF.

Said one soldier, who held the rank of third sergeant but who did not want to be identified: "At least now, there is some confirmation that the authorities are doing something, but we hope such instances will not happen again."

But others said they were miffed that they had been left in the dark for so long to begin with.

One lance-corporal, who wanted to remain anonymous, said he had had no word from his unit right up to leaving the Army. "We were told that people in the battalion were looking into the matter and there was a technical error," said the 21-year-old, who is now working as a part-time assistant in a local bank.

"Some also said the scores had been processed and the money would be credited into our accounts soon, but who's to know whether that was true?"