STUDENTS AND SOLDIERS CELEBRATING NATIONAL DAY TOGETHER

For the students and teachers of Yishun Junior College (YJC), this year's National Day Observance Ceremony (NDOC) was certainly a memorable one.

All who stepped into the school compound on 6 Aug were greeted by the unprecedented sight of soldiers from the 24th Battalion Singapore Artillery (24 SA), and an array of military hardware.

Kicking off at 8 o'clock in the morning, the NDOC started with a combined parade which comprised uniform groups from YJC and Yishun Secondary School together with a contingent from 24 SA. This was followed by a flag-raising ceremony, the singing of the National Anthem and recital of the National Pledge.

The formal ceremony ended with a National Day message by Minister for Education and Second Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen, but the celebrations were far from over.

As the familiar strains of popular National Day songs rang out over the school's speakers, students and teachers waved their Singapore flags with pride and excitement, singing and cheering at the top of their voices.After the ceremony, students got a rare treat - to get up close and personal with the artillery guns and equipment brought in by 24 SA. Big artillery guns such as the Singapore Lightweight 155mm Howitzer Pegasus attracted a crowd of eager students. There were also numerous static displays which allowed them to experience various facets of army life, which ranged from camouflage face-painting to the handling of weapons like the SAR 21 assault rifle.

Guided by one of the soldiers from 24 SA, a YJC student gets some hands-on experience with the general purpose machine gun.

"It's a good experience for everyone because it brings the issue of defence closer to the community," said Malay Language teacher Mohd Said from YJC. "Having some hands-on experience with army equipment will help our male students when they eventually go on to serve National Service. The girls can also see first-hand what our soldiers go through, and support them when they defend the country."

Eighteen-year-old students Soh Siong Koon and See Xue Wei Sywell, for instance, enjoyed a taste of military life as they raced against time and each other to pack and unpack field kits.

"You need to be efficient, fast, organized," said the two girls. "It's definitely helped us to appreciate the tough training that the soldiers undergo."

Brigadier-General (BG) Tan Chuan-Jin, Commander Training and Doctrine Command, and Captain (CPT) Chok Yuan Yi from 24 SA were also present to give talks to the enthusiastic young students.

Speaking to a packed auditorium, BG Tan shared his experience in organising last year's National Day Parade (NDP) as the chairman of the executive committee; while CPT Chok provided a first-person insight into the Singapore Armed Forces' overseas missions in Afghanistan.

For 2nd Lieutenant Han Dong from 24 SA, who served as the coordinator and Chairman for the organising committee, it was gratifying to see all their hard work pay off.

"There was a lot of liaison, networking and planning involved to make the event a success, but the turnout was great. We're excited and proud to showcase what we do to the students of YJC."