But another part of me did experience the thrill of being able to go through the obstacles, learning how each station serves to train NS men and regulars for different wartime scenarios.

In another training exercise, we were taught by SAF instructors how to apply tourniquets and how to evacuate a casualty safely through combat buddy aid. I gleefully brought that skill home with me, showing off my newfound skills to my exasperated mother by dragging her around our home after the camp.

My favourite part of the camp, of course, was handling the SAR21 rifle, the reason why I signed up for this camp.

For one, I never expected weapons to be this heavy, having seen people wield them with ease at the National Day Parade.

The weight of the gun with its strap around my neck weighed me down, and I wondered how people could go through the obstacle course carrying this weight, or having to endure long route marches with the rifles and field packs that can weigh as much as 20kg each.

Despite this, the most memorable part of the boot camp was the enthusiasm of the other participants, who had endless questions for the women of the Singapore Armed Forces Volunteer Corps as well as the SAF trainers.

“What happens during your period when you are out on the field,” asked one participant. “What are some things women can’t do in the army,” asked another.

I was expecting a corporate rah-rah response about how women in NS went through it exactly like other men do, or some motivational line about how women can do it too.

But their answers were refreshingly truthful, that women do experience things differently than men in the army because of practical differences.

For example, one of the obstacles in the standard obstacle course cannot be performed by females because it involves putting pressure on their uterus. During outfield trainings, I was also surprised to hear that women might need to keep their used sanitary pads before disposing of them after the exercise is over.