Whether you’ve seen them, heard them, had the unfortunate pleasure of smelling them after their first outfield camp or perhaps you’ve even been one of them – we all know them. NSmen.

Today in history, Singapore passed the National Service (Amendment) Bill in 1967, making conscription compulsory for young men. Apart from the practical necessities of the bill to build up Singapore’s defence system, National Service has succeeded in other surprisingly inconspicuous ways. Robert Yeo (alumnus from the Dept. of English Language and Literature) for one attests to this in his poem, ‘Boys in Jungle Green’. Yeo’s poem speaks of the transformative effect of the gruelling military training in addition to the newfound responsibilities of securing the nation. For Yeo and for many Singaporean men, the amalgamated effect of 2 years of serving the nation is this: