Time to make all the cheongsua-ing and late night duties worth it!
If you’re currently serving national service or have ORD-ed, chances are, you’ll be receiving a green letter soon.
Screencap from NS50 website
Don’t panic, you’re not getting charged or being called up for another round of ICT. In fact, you’re being rewarded.
As part of this year’s NS50 festivities, the NS50 Recognition Package has been mailed out to all national servicemen, who are currently serving or have served.
To keep up with the historic 50 year anniversary of national service, the package this year is will give the men in blue and green a long list of promotions, benefits, and discounts.
That being said, what are the best deals you can expect in this package?
Food Galore
First up, national servicemen can expect to receive $100 worth of vouchers. Valid till 31st Dec 2017, the vouchers are applicable to a variety of participating merchants and can be used at retail stores, restaurants, and on leisure activities.
With over 250 merchants and 6000 outlets, the list is truly extensive.
For food lovers, the vouchers can be used at classic family-favourite restaurants like Swensens and Pizza Hut. For those with a fancier palate, you can also use them at places like the Fremantle Fish Market or Kuro Izakaya.
If your appetite is even bigger, treat yourself to a sumptuous grilled buffet at Seoul Garden or a shabu feast at Suki-Ya.
Shop, shop, and shop
With the Great Singapore Sale in full swing, the vouchers come at a great timing. With many big and small retailers participating in the package, be prepared to go on an insane shopping spree.
Get a nice classy watch at Fossil, or grab a new pair of shoes from The Social Foot or Sperrys. Major retailers – like sports brands World of Sports, Mizuno and Reebok – and departmental stores like Isetan and Robinsons are also included.
The vouchers work online too, and you can use them on e-commerce sites like ezbuy and Lazada.
Tech geeks, don’t worry, we haven’t forgotten you. The vouchers are also applicable at Harvey Norman, Best Denki, Courts, and even Samsung.
Go Out!
If shopping and eating aren’t your thing, the vouchers also provide plenty of opportunities for dates, a guys’ night out or family outings.
Catch the latest summer flick at Golden Village and Shaw Theatres, or hit Shanghai Dolly and Club Kyõ for a long night out with your pals.
For the family men, you can bring the wife and kids out for a day at the Singapore Zoo or Universal Studios. For those who are not at that stage yet, you can alternatively jio your girlfriend for a stunning romantic date at the serene Butterfly Park or stunning Gardens by the Bay.
Just Card It
The $100 vouchers are not all you’re going to get. For operationally ready NSMen, you also get a 1-year SAFRA/ HomeTeamNS membership for free!
Apart from the current benefits that come with the card, you are also entitled to several special NS50 promotions at the various SAFRA and HomeTeamNS clubs in Singapore.
For example, SAFRA members can claim a 1 for 1 ice cream from the Ice Cream Chefs at SAFRA Mt Faber Clubhouse, or a 1 for 1 deal at Shaw Cinemas!
SAFRA card members are also entitled to shopping vouchers from Robinsons, Popular, and Swensens along with discounts at Lenas, Watsons, and Royal Sporting House.
Free Rides And Salutes
In the coming months, national servicemen can also expect a few other initiatives to roll out their way.
On 30th June, as long as you don your uniform, you can enjoy free public transport rides from the first to the last train and bus services. This is also inclusive of Nite Owl and Nite Rider Services.
Also, for those sergeants and men who are curious to know what it’s like to be saluted, NS50 kicked off the We Salute our NSmen on Sunday (18 June) to pay homage to national servicemen.
The campaign encourages the Singaporean public to show their appreciation of national servicemen by posting photos and videos of their salutes on social media platforms with the hashtag #NS50salute and #safrasg.
With such a huge list of promotions, initiatives and deals, all those late night patrols and cheongsua-ing suddenly become worth it.