National Service in Singapore

National Service (NS) is the name given to the compulsory conscription in Singapore of all male Singaporean citizens and second-generation permanent residents upon reaching the age of 18. They serve a two-year period as Full Time National Servicemen (NSFs) in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), Singapore Police Force (SPF), or the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF).

When a conscript completes his full time service, he is considered to be "operationally ready", and is thereafter known as an Operationally-Ready National Serviceman (NSman). NSmen are the equivalent of other militaries' reservists. The difference in nomenclature is because the term "Operationally-Ready National Servicemen" conveys more importance than "reservists" and in the event of the breakout of war in Singapore, these NSmen will form the bulk of the defending forces under the SAF.

On an annual basis, NSmen go through either a high key training or a low key training until they reach the age of 40 or 50 depending on their rank. 'High-key' or intensive training involves operations and In-Camp Training (ICT), which last for seven days or longer. 'Low-key' training refers to a training duration of six days or less.

The overwhelming majority of conscripts serve in the Army, as part of the SAF. The reasons for this phenomenon include the relative manpower needs of the Army, compared with the other armed services, the SPF, and SCDF. Also, compared with the Army, the Air Force and Navy are smaller services composed primarily of regular servicemen. As their manpower needs tend to be more specialized, a constant turnover of staff would be very disruptive.

History

The NS (Amendment) act was passed on 14 March 1967, as the Singapore government felt that it was necessary to build a substantial military force. The country only had about 1000 soldiers at the time of independence. In the late 1960s, the British government had decided to withdraw its troops and bases East of Suez, which included the troops stationed in Singapore. That prompted the government to implement a conscription program for the country's defence. It adopted a conscription model drawing on elements of the Swiss and Israeli national conscription schemes. This was done with the help of Israeli military advisers who were closely involved in the establishment of the Singapore armed forces. [" [http://cs.uwec.edu/~tan/saf_israel.htm A Deep, Dark, Secret Love Affair] ", by Amnon Brazilai (reprint), Haaretz, July 2004.]

The stated rationale behind conscription is two-fold. Firstly, because Singapore has a population of about 4 million (as of 2004), an army solely of regulars would be too small to defend the country. Secondly, national service is supposed to foster racial harmony among the Chinese, Malay, Indian, and other ethnic groups in the country by requiring all males to go through similar experiences and thus being able to identify themselves to share a common destiny of defending the nation. (see multiracialism). However there are observations that not all conscripts are spread evenly among the various services according to the national ethnic ratio, with a very obvious disproportionate ratio observed among those posted to the Police and Civil Defence arms.

Enlistment

Male Singaporean citizens and permanent residents alike are required to register for National Service upon reaching the age of 16½ years, during which they would also be required to undergo a mandatory medical examination to determine their medical status, known as Physical Employment Status (PES), which is used as a guideline as to which vocation the person is placed in.

Exemptions are rare and are usually due to disability or serious medical conditions certified by the SAF Medical Board. One instance of rare cases of exemption would be if the enlistment would cause hardship to the enlistee's family, be it financially or otherwise, although this particular exemption is rarely granted.

Military service

There are several types of Basic Military Training (BMT) conducted by the SAF at its BMT Centre on Pulau Tekong, which is an island off the north-east coast of Singapore. Medically fit NSFs who hold educational qualifications from Junior Colleges and other institutions of higher learning undergo a 10-week Enhanced BMT program. Those from lower educational backgrounds undergo a similar program (Standard BMT program), but without a Sit Test (Situational Test), which is a test used to assess trainees for posting to command schools like the School of Infantry Specialists (SISPEC) and Officer Cadet School (OCS), occasionally a select few will later be posted to the Police service for training as an Inspector.

NSFs who are less medically fit, depending on their particular medical condition, either have to go a 7-week Modified BMT or just a 1-week induction program for recruits with certain medical conditions. [cite web | url = http://www.mindef.gov.sg/imindef/mindef_websites/atozlistings/army/About_BMT/Types_of_BMT_Training.html | title = Types of BMT Training | work = About BMT | publisher = Ministry of Defence (Singapore) | date = 13 November 06 | accessdate = 2007-09-06] NSFs who are medically fit, but have failed the pre-enlistment Individual Physical Proficiency Test (IPPT), will have to undergo an additional 4-week Physical Training Phase (PTP), making it a 13-week BMT program for them. Conscripts who are overweight go through special BMT programs, depending on the severity of their obesity, with the longest BMT program lasting 4 months (16 weeks) for the most obese trainees. The obesity of a conscript is determined by his Body Mass Index (BMI) during the pre-enlistment medical checkup.

Medically fit NSmen also have to take the IPPT every year as part of their training program.

Police Service

Though a majority will serve in the army for their National Service, a considerable number of enlistees will serve their NS years in the Police Force. For those who are chosen to serve in the Police Force, they will undergo training at the Home Team Academy where they will study the Penal code and standard police protocol. After training at the Academy, they will be posted to various Departments of the Force eg. Special Operations Command (SOC), Logistics, Land divisions, Airport Police, etc. Those who are posted to the Police Coast Guard (PCG) or Police KINS will undergo further training. Selection of Officer Cadet Trainees (OCTs) to undergo the NS Police Inspector Course (NSPI) is a stringent process for Police National Servicemen (Full-time). Usually, a very small number (ie 3) from each cohort will be selected, with the majority of the OCTs being the Singapore Armed Forces' National Servicemen (Full-time) who have completed their Basic Military Training (BMT).

Civil Defence Service

The SCDF is the emergency rescue force of Singapore and they provide firefighting, rescue and ambulance services, and has been one of the three National Service postings since 1972. Those who are enlisted into the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) will typically undergo a 7-week Basic Rescue Training at the Basic Rescue Training Centre (BRTC) where they will be given basic rescue training (BRT), exposed regimental discipline and trained to maintain a level of fitness required of all NSFs in Singapore.

Much alike the SAF's SISPEC course, selected NSFs are also posted to the Civil Defence Academy (CDA) to undergo the Firefighter Course (FFC) or the Emergency Response Specialist Course (ERSC) within the first two weeks of their BRT stage, passing out as Firefighters for FFC trainees, and as Fire & Rescue Specialists for ERS trainees who would also simultaneously be conferred with the Sergeant rank (Firefighters mostly pass out as Privates prior to station posting). Firefighters would typically be posted out to the various fire stations island-wide after passing out, while Fire & Rescue Specialists would be posted as Section Commanders at territorial division, fire stations or at the Special Rescue Battalion; a small number may also be posted as Instructors back in the CDA to staff the Command & Staff Training Wing.

While a certain level of health and fitness pre-requisites are expected by both the FFC and ERSC administrators before one can be selected for the aforementioned courses, admission into the ERS course typically requires a certain added set of added qualifications, namely either a minimum of a GCE 'A' Level certificate, a Polytechnic Diploma or a Higher Nitec Certificate. These added pre-requisites are viewed as necessary in light of a Section Commander's operational and administrative role when posted out. One marked difference between the FFC and ERSC is the added rescue and emergency training received by ERS Specialist Cadet Trainees (SCTs), as well as the General Command & Control Term which includes the Basic Home Team Course held at the Home Team Academy and an outward-bound Brunei trip which serves to equip and develop the necessary leadership skills required of a specialist junior officer. In terms of administration and duration, the FFC is under the charge of the Firefighting Training Wing (FFTW) and lasts for three months while the ERSC is under the purview of the Command & Staff Training Wing (CSTW) and lasts for six months.

In addition, there is also the Basic Officer Course under the charge of the CSTW designed to train NSFs and regulars as Senior Officers of the SCDF, with NSFs graduating as Lieutenants (LTA). While the BOC is traditionally largely made up of NSFs from the SAF who had just completed their Basic Military Training (BMT) at Tekong, the top 5-10% of the ERSC will also be offered to cross-over to the Basic Officer Course (BOC) to be trained and commissioned as Senior Officers after passing out, spending the last three months of the BOC together with Officer Cadet Trainees (OCTs).

For NSFs who undergo the full 7-week basic rescue training at the BRTC, they will subsequently be posted and trained to become Medical Orderly (Medics), Dog Handlers, Provosts, Infocomm & Logistics Specialists or Instructors (such as Physical Training Instructors or PTIs) among many other vocations upon passing out from the BRTC.

Humanitarian efforts

Some NSFs have participated in the humanitarian efforts following the 2006 South of Java Island tsunami, 2005 Kashmir Earthquake and the 2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake.

References in arts and popular culture

Film

* "Army Daze" (1996)

Theatre

* "Army Daze" (1987, 2006)

ee also

* Awards For Singapore National Serviceman

References

External links

* [http://iprep.ns.sg/ iPrepNS - information on Preparation for National Service in Singapore]
* [http://statutes.agc.gov.sg/non_version/cgi-bin/cgi_retrieve.pl?actno=REVED-93&doctitle=ENLISTMENT%20ACT%0a&date=latest&method=part Singapore Statutes Chapter 93: Enlistment Act (1967), archived in the Attorney General Chamber (AGC) of Singapore.]
* [http://www.mindef.gov.sg/ns35/ebook02.asp Shoulder to Shoulder - Our National Service Journal] - A colourful and light-hearted handbook published by MINDEF in 2002, in commemoration of 35 Years of National Service.
* [http://www.mindef.gov.sg/nsmen/ The NSmen Website]
* [http://www.ns.sg The NSmen's portal]
* [http://www.mindef.gov.sg/dmg/ls/enlistment_act.htm Enlistment Act]