Who says officers must be rich?!

I am fed up. As most of you should know by now, I am currently poor, broke and penniless. Yet the army has ways and means of squeezing the last dollar and cent out of our pockets. Some examples I can think of :

Compulsary:

• Mess subscription fees
• Community Chest Donations
• Dining Ins
• Commissioning Balls
• Festive seasons celebrations organised by the mess
• This magazine called "Pointer" that I never read nor can i unsubscribe

Strongly encouraged (means compulsary when you're a trainee)

• NKF donations
• Insurance

Just received an Email today entitled "Join in the FUN at the Selarang Mess Christmas Party on 29th December 2004". (this is really dumb.. a christmas celebration on the 29th?! wtf?)Fun my ass. Somehow my boss included my name in the list of "interested" personnel and now they're sending me the invitation. I read on. I have to pay $20 for the event, and there's more. Some smart alec in division came up with this gift exchange session (minimum $10 per gift) idea. Damn, they're even smart enough to know that there are cheepos (like me) out there who will exchange chocolates/sweets/pencils/$1.99 shop stuff as gifts.

Hey pple, wake up your idea! Get rid of the misconception that Officers are so-damn-rich just because they get a few hundred more than the other NSFs each month! So stop the discrimination! Stop charging us more haircuts, mess fees etc.. and Stop arrowing us for pointless events/ dine-ins/ celebrations (that costs a bomb) because "officers get more pay what!". People, wake up your idea! We are not as rich as you think. At least I am not.