Why NS? (national service)

Why NS? Short Notes About National Service (NS) for teacher's reference

1. To date, more than 900,000 male Singaporeans have served NS. Our national servicemen form the backbone of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), Singapore Police Force (SPF) and Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) that keep Singapore safe and secure. 

2. On 21 February 1967, then Prime Minister Mr Lee Kuan Yew announced the introduction of full-time NS. Conscription began with 900 of 9,000 eligible conscripts enlisting for full-time NS, while the rest served part-time in the People's Defence Force, the Vigilante Corps and the Special Constabulary. 

3. When NS was first introduced, officers served three years and other ranks served two years, followed by ten years of reserve service. That changed over the years to meet the needs of the nation. 

4. The roles of national servicemen have changed over time. After the first few batches of enlistees were trained in infantry battalions in the Army, enlistees started joining the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) and Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) in 1969 and 1970 respectively. In 1975, the first intake of full-time Police National Servicemen was enlisted. The SCDF enlisted its first intake of NSFs in 1981 to provide emergency services to the nation during peacetime and crises. 

5. Beyond protecting Singapore from armed conflicts, our servicemen are now involved in countering terrorism, dealing with the aftermath of natural disasters and tackling health epidemics. For instance, our NSFs and NSmen from the SAF and the Home Team aided relief efforts in Indonesia and Thailand in the wake of the Boxing Day tsunami of 2004. Our SCDF NSmen have participated in a total of nine relief missions in the Asia-Pacific region, as part of Operation Lionheart. 

6. By 2017, one million national servicemen will have enlisted in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), Singapore Police Force (SPF), and Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF).

References:

 Mickey Chiang. "SAF and 30 Years of National Service". Singapore: Armour Publishing for MINDEF Public Affairs. 1997.

 Koh Boon Pin; Lee Geok Boi. "Shoulder to Shoulder (Our National Service Journal)". Ministry of Defence, Singapore. 2002.

 "National Service". POINTER (Journal of the Singapore Armed Forces). 1992, Dr Albert Lau) Based on a study commissioned by MINDEF.

 Ong Eng Chuan. "National Service in Singapore: early years". Singapore Infopedia.

 The Ministry of Defence, Singapore website

 The Singapore Police Force website.

 Speech by Minister for Home Affairs, Mr. Wong Kan Seng – The Launching Ceremony of the HomeTeamNS at the Bukit Batok Clubhouse Auditorium. 24 Apr 2005.

 Taken from https://www.mindef.gov.sg/strengthenNS/about_ns.html 18 Nov 2016

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