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Singaporeans With Stealth Frigates: Difference between revisions
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The Singapore Armed Forces is the military of the island nation of Singapore. Its high-tech capability compensates for its small size of 76,000 men and about 300,000 in reserves.
Some military analysts rank the Singapore Armed Forces as the best equipped and trained force in the region, since its highly-educated pool of conscripts allows it to invest in more advanced military technology. Recruitment is mostly on a conscription basis using a system similar to Israel's, with able-bodied male citizens above a certain age (sixteen and a half, usually deferred until eighteen after schooling) serving one and a half to two years of National Service, followed by Reservist duty annually. Note that 16-year-olds would be considered child soldiers, according to an optional protocol to the Geneva Convention.
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There are four typical classes of service personnel within the S.A.F.
* '''Full-Time National Servicemen''' - Also known as '''NSFs''' ([[Acronym and Abbreviation Overload|National Service, Full-Time]]). These are the young men conscripted into the S.A.F. to serve out their two year National Service term. It is considered standard behaviour to bemoan one's fate while in this stage, unless you happen to be posted to a hip and happening vocation.
* '''Operationally Ready National Servicemen''' - Also known as '''NSmen'''. Men who have completed their two year stint in the military. In spite of the fact that most of them disliked their time in the service, a large majority of them look back on their 'days in green' with some [[Nostalgia Filter|fondness and nostalgia]]. These men are reassigned to the reserve corps once released from their bonds, and have to complete a certain number of reservist term cycles dependent on individual unit requirements. It is considered standard operating procedure for NSmen to wave their civilian IDs and flaunt their 'liberated' status in front of NSFs. They can, however, sometimes act as kindly mentors to NSFs during their reservist cycles, giving them tips on how to handle some situations and speaking of later civilian life in general.
* '''Regulars''' - Every soldier in the S.A.F. starts out as an NSF. Somewhere along the line, they either decided that serving their nation is what they want to do, or they feel their talents lie best with the military. Those, or they simply just went insane and signed a minimum of 6 years of their lives away on a dotted line. All ranks higher than 2nd Sergeant (for enlisted personnel) and Lieutenant (for officers) must be regulars (unless you did something super awesome, like sink a pirate ship with a stone or something. To date, no one has been reported to have done this). The Navy and Air Force also mainly comprise regulars, as the technical expertise and dedication required often demands a longer time for training and learning, which will definitely exceed the NSF's liability of two years. All [[The Squadette|women]] in the S.A.F. are regulars, since women are not required to perform National Service.
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The typical course of a soldier in the S.A.F. is detailed below (Commandos and Naval Divers follow a different route):
* Every [[New Meat|recruit]] begins his journey at the S.A.F. Basic Military Training Centre. This is where new soldiers are taught about the basics of military service, indoctrinated with the core values of the S.A.F. and generally go through a [[Training
* After Basic Military Training (BMT), all successful recruits, i.e. most, are promoted to the rank of Private. This is done at a Passing Out Parade (no, [[I Thought It Meant|this doesn't mean they all pass out]] and collapse during the parade<ref>It happens, but only to one or two dudes</ref>, but that they have passed out of basic training). Before completion of BMT, recruits are assessed according to their leadership abilities and physical aptitudes. This will determine the future course of their progression in National Service. Some will be selected to become Commissioned Officers, others to become [[Sergeant Rock|Specialists]] (what Non-Commissioned Officers are called in the S.A.F.) and the rest will be streamed into vocational schools.
* Those selected to be trained as Officers will become [[Butt Monkey|Officer Cadets]], and are trained for a grueling period of 9 months (12 for Naval Officer Cadets and in excess of 30 for Pilots) at [[wikipedia:Officer Cadet School (Singapore)|Officer Cadet School]]. Once they're done, they are commissioned as [[Ensign Newbie|2nd Lieutenants]]. Those selected to be trained as Specialists will become Specialist Cadets, and are trained for a shorter but no less tough period of 6 to 7 months at [[wikipedia:Specialist Cadet School|Specialist Cadet School]]. When these are done, they graduate as 3rd Sergeants and put on their three chevrons. [[Sergeant Rock|Sergeant Rock-ery]] is not a necessary outcome.
* Regardless of whichever leadership path every soldier is sent on, he will enter a specific vocational school to learn his trade (because you can't just have minimally-trained riflemen making up the whole Armed Forces, can you?). The various schools generally have [[Exactly What It Says
* Once all the training is done, soldiers will serve out their respective roles in the S.A.F. until they complete their National Service term. During the course of all the training mentioned above, it is possible for any combat-fit soldier to 'sign on' (to use the local terminology) to become a regular.
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=== The Singapore Armed Forces comprises three branches: ===
''The Decisive Force''
The '''Singapore Army''' is the land-based arm of the S.A.F. and is the largest branch by numbers, with 3 combined Arms Divisions, 2 Operational Reserve Divisions and an Island Defence Force. It also includes the largest pool of Operationally Ready National Servicemen, i.e. men who have already completed their obligatory 2-year full time service. This is because most of the conscripts in the S.A.F. are streamed into the Army right out of Basic Military Training.
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* Singapore Commando Formation - The [[Elites Are More Glamorous|Elite]] Infantry Force. These are the guys you want when things really, really need to get done without them being screwed up. Training is especially tough and there is a very high drop-out rate. Their red beret is iconic.
* Singapore Guards - The [[Elite Army|Rapid Deployment and Strike Force]]. Trained much harder and tougher than regular infantry, they are a bit more numerous than the Commandos, but are definitely no less tough. Have an equally iconic khaki beret.
* Singapore Combat [[The Engineer|Engineers]] - [[Exactly What It Says
* Singapore Infantry Regiments - The bulk of the Army, though no less important. Probably the least glamourous (and least sought-after) vocation, but essential in any combat engagement.
* Singapore Armoured Formations - [[Tank Goodness]]. They are THE Cavalry, though for some reason, considered as glamourous as the Infantry (read: not). The S.A.F. has recently acquired the German Leopard 2 tank to become the main steed for the Armoured Formations, which definitely adds an extra punch.
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Supporting the Combat Arms are the Combat Support Units:
* Army Intelligence - [[Main/ptitlewnwrl 6 yo|We'd tell you, but then]] [[Inverted Trope|they'd have to kill us]].
* Army Medical Services - [[The Medic|Medic]]! They most definitely do not run around in white lab coats with syringe guns, but these are the guys you want watching your back. One amazing thing about the Medical Corps is that a large majority of qualified medics were once untrained recruits, meaning the training must have been quite...[[Training
* Army Maintenance and Engineering Support
* Army Supply and Transport - The backbone of the Logistics Corps. Without these guys, forget about fighting for more than a day. An Army does march on its stomach, after all.
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Under the Navy are 3 Fleets, which are further divided into 6 Naval Squadrons comprising all the vessels as mentioned above. These are supported by Naval Logistics Command, Naval Training Command and the Maritime Security Task Force.
One particular unit of note within the RSN is the Naval Diving Unit. These guys are considered the Commandos of the Navy, with a [[Training
''Above All''
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The RSAF operates many 3 to 3.5 Generation aircraft, like the F-15SG Strike Eagle, F-16C/D Fighting Falcon, F-5E Tiger, G550 AEW&C and C-130 Hercules to name a few. Located within Singapore are 4 Air Bases, amongst which the various squadrons are spread. Combined with two civilian airports, this makes Singaporean airspace one of the most crowded and heavily used in the world.
The motto of the Air Force is often [[Interservice Rivalry|disparaged by Army and Navy personnel]], but we all know [[Green-Eyed Monster|why]].
Since the 2000s, the RSAF comprises 6 overall commands:
* Air Defence Operations Command - Considered [[Mission Control|the Command]] [[The Man Behind the Man|leading all the rest of the Commands]], taking in information and [[The Big Board|assigning air defence assets]] during peace and wartime as required. Also performs [[Ominous Multiple Screens|defensive monitoring]] of Singaporean airspace and all regional air traffic.
* Air Combat Command - Home of the [[Ace Pilot]] and [[Badass Crew|flight and maintenance crew]]. All manned fixed-wing aircraft (Attack, interceptor, transport or otherwise) fall under the umbrella of this Command. Typical Fighter Pilot Jock Tropes apply.
* Air Power Generation Command - If you want [[Death From Above]], you're gonna need to be able to launch the Death high above in the first place. These are the guys who [[Mission Control|operate the command facilities]], provide the Air Traffic Control services, [[The Engineer|repair the runways and taxiways]], [[Overreacting Airport Security|defend the air bases]], and supply the ammunition as well as spare parts for equipping the aircraft.
* Participation Command - The S.A.F. differs from most Air Forces around the world in that '''all''' air assets are operated by the RSAF. This means that helicopters (typically operated by the respective Army or Navy Air Arms in other militaries) and anti-air defence units belong to the Air Force. The 'participation' in Participation Command springs from the fact that the Air Force 'participates' in ground- and sea-based operations. Therefore, all [[Gunship Rescue|rotary-wing]] aircraft fall under this Command, alongside the [[Anti-Air]] assets.
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=== In Fiction ===
* ''Army Daze'' is a 1996 comedy movie based on a stage play that follows five young men from different backgrounds performing their National Service. Much of movie's humor focus on the characters quirks; Malcolm is naive and pampered Mama's boy, Johari is the fat guy who wants to be an actor, Krishna acts like a Bollywood hero, Kenny is the [[Camp Gay]] and Ah Beng being .....an [[Exactly What It Says
* ''Every Singaporean Son'' is 2010 mini-reality show by the National Geographic channel and [[Backed
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[[Category:Forces With Firepower]]
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