SAF Pays Tribute to Nsmen for 30 Years of Contribution

SAF Pays Tribute to NSmen for 30 Years of Contribution

01 Jul 1997

This year, the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) pays a special tribute to National Servicemen for 30 years of contribution towards service for the nation. National Service is an integral part of the Singaporean way of life in preserving the sovereignty of the nation. The SAF has reached first-class standards after 30 years of contribution from all servicemen.

To commemorate this occasion and as a tribute to all NSmen for their contributions towards National Service, the SAF invited about 200 pioneer NSmen to the Parade, held at SAFTI Military Institute this evening, 1 Jul 97. The Parade Commander and the Regimental Sergeant Major (RSM) for this year's Parade were also NSmen. They were Lieutenant-Colonel Gerald Foo Tiang Boo, the Second-in-Command of the Eighth Singapore Armour Brigade and First Warrant Officer Tong Hock Ang, RSM from Headquarters Third Division.

The parade this evening, officiated by President Ong Teng Cheong, brought together over 1,500 Army, Navy and Air Force personnel, among which were the Minister for Education and Second Minister for Defence, Rear Admiral (NS) Teo Chee Hean; the Minister of State for Defence, Mr Matthias Yao; the Permanent Secretary (Defence), Mr Eddie Teo; the Chief of Defence Force, Lieutenant-General (LT-GEN) Bey Soo Khiang; the Permanent secretary (Defence Development), Mr Peter Ho; and the Chiefs of Army, Navy and Air Force. Joining in the celebrations also were Mr Chan Soo Sen, the Permanent Secretary for Prime Minister's office; Dr Ong Chit Choon, the Member of Parliament for Bukit Batok GRC; Mr Inderjit Singh, the Member of Parliament for Ang Mo Kio GRC; the Commissioner of Police, Mr Khoo Boon Hui; LT-GEN (Ret) Winston Choo; LT-GEN (NS) Ng Jui Ping; and RADM (Ret) James Leo.

The Best Units and Best NS Units Awards were presented by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence, Dr Tony Tan. The Divisional Air Defence Artillery Brigade and the Naval Diving Unit were also presented new Colours by President Ong. These awards and Colours are a reflection of the high standards of combat proficiency and operational readiness of the SAF units.

The SAF Day message was delivered by Dr Tan at a combined rededication ceremony for the

Central Business District at Westin Stamford earlier this morning. Four other combined rededication ceremonies, held at different locations around the island, were also organised by civilian organisations in support of the SAF and national service. Over 1,000 NSmen attended these ceremonies to renew their SAF pledge on this. Many other organisations have also conducted their own in-house rededication ceremonies.

National Service

Singapore as an island nation with limited resources has many strategic vulnerabilities. The need for a systematic defence structure became even more apparent after independence in 1965. As a result, national service was introduced in 1967, whereby all able-bodied male Singaporean, after serving two and a half years of national service, must continue with another thirteen-year cycle to maintain the operational readiness of the citizen army.

The SAF has grown in complexity and sophistication along with the growth of Singapore's economy and immersion of new technology. An array of state-of-the-art equipment such as the F-16 fighter aircraft were purchased. The SAF also worked very closely with the local defence industries to tap into their expertise. The Army's Infantry Fighting Vehicle and the RSN's Patrol Vessel are some examples whereby the technological expertise of the local defence industries and MINDEF's Defence Technology Group were tapped to produce custom-made equipment which meet the SAF's specific requirements.

To adapt to the changing environment, the SAF also modified its training. NSmen constantly undergo in-camp training to practise and upgrade their skills in order to maintain the high level of combat proficiency and operational readiness. The SAF introduced the Combined Arms concept in 1991 with a two-fold aim. Firstly, it serves to integrate the Army, Navy and Air Force. Secondly, it combines both active personnel and NSmen in the three divisions to better integrate the SAF defence strategy. These efforts are tailored towards turning the SAF into a first-class armed forces.

A SAF Day Internet Special will also be put up in MINDEF's Internet Webservice. Scheduled to be made accessible by tomorrow, this special web-page will include selected highlights of the SAF Day Parade, information on the history of Colours, significance of SAF Day, and the profile of the various Best Unit winners.

Speech:

- Factsheet - Winners for the Best NS Unit Competition (MINDEF_19970701005.pdf) - Factsheet - Units Receiving SAF New Colours (MINDEF_19970701006.pdf) - Factsheet - Results of the 1996/1997 SAF Best Unit Competition (MINDEF_19970701007.pdf)