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Officer Cadet School (Singapore)
Encyclopedia
Officer Cadet School is one of the several training establishments within the SAFTI Military Institute
camp complex. Its role is to train officers of all three services of the Singapore Armed Forces
. It is run independently of the other schools in the complex, but is ultimately overseen by the Commandant of SAFTI MI.
. Outstanding graduands from Basic Military Training and the Specialist Cadet School (Specialist
s are NCO
-equivalents in the SAF) are sent to OCS to train to be officers. Regular Specialists may also attend OCS on application, recommendation, and selection. Trainees are known as Officer Cadets for Army
and Air Force
servicemen, and Midshipmen for Navy
servicemen respectively.
There are a total of 12 wings in OCS inclusive of tri-service wings. They are: Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta, Echo, Foxtrot, Golf, Hotel, Sierra, Tango, Mids and Air. Mids and Air Wings are for the Navy and Air Force Officer Cadets respectively.
Common Leadership Module
The Service Term starts with the Common Leadership module in the first two weeks of the Officer Cadet Course. This is also the Initiation period where the Officer Cadets are granted some latitude in terms of discipline and regimentation to facilitate adjustment. In this Module, the newly inducted officer cadets are introduced to the SAF Leadership Framework and the SAF Core Values before they are streamed to the army, navy, or air force subsequently. One of the aims of this module is getting the new Officer Cadets used to the new environment. Subsequently, Officer Cadets are streamed into their services based on aptitude and personal preference, and receive training specific to their service. The end of this module is marked by a solemn initiation ceremony in SAFTI MI's hallowed ceremonial hall, to officially mark the new officer cadet's entry to Officer Cadet School.
Service term
Officer Cadets who remain in the Army Wings (company-equivalents) undergo platoon
- and section
-level infantry
training for their Service term, from weeks 3 to 14. At the end of Service term, the Officer Cadets may indicate their preferred vocation: Infantry, Armour, Artillery, Signals, Combat Engineers. The Officer Cadets are sent to the various vocations based on their personal preference, as well as other factors such as performance in the course, security clearance, etc. Officer Cadets may not choose Logistics as a vocation, but they may be selected for it.
Professional term
For the professional term, weeks 15 to 35, Officer Cadets in the Infantry remain in SAFTI MI, while those belonging to the other arms will depart for their respective schools (e.g. Signal Institute) to receive training specific to their arm of service. Before reporting to their respective schools, Officer Cadets in the support arms are sent for SOCJOT (Support arms Officer Cadet Jungle Orientation Training) in Brunei.
Infantry Officer Cadets will go on two overseas training trips during their stay in OCS. Usually, they will go to either Taiwan or Thailand for general infantry training, and Brunei for training in jungle terrain.
Officer Cadets in the Navy and Air Force Wings continue to receive training within SAFTI MI, before going for further training at sea for the Midshipmen, and Air Force Training Command for Air Force Cadets.
Joint term
On completion of their military training, all the Officer Cadets will return to SAFTI MI for their Commissioning Parade in the Joint term from weeks 36 to 38.
The first week of the Joint term mainly involves visits to all services and getting to know more on how the three services work with each other. Rehearsal for the commissioning parade will commence as early as two weeks before the date itself, it will be conducted by the School Sergeant Major
as well as with the assistance of other Wing Sergeants Major. Some former Officer Cadets believe that the rehearsal is even tougher than training itself. Either the President, or a representative (a cabinet minister) will officially commission them as Second Lieutenant
s in the Singapore Armed Forces.
s, Officer Cadets wear their rank insignia on shoulderboards. The insignia consist of one, two, or three white bars, denoting their seniority (Fortnight, Junior Bar, and Senior Bar cadets respectively). The graduating class of Officer Cadets wear peaked caps instead of beret
s, and are accorded the privilege of being addressed "Sir" by junior Officer Cadets. At this point, they are given more privileges and responsibilities commensurate with their seniority.
All Officer Cadets will have a chance to take on exercise and admin appointments to practice their various leadership skills. Exercise roles involve selected cadets serving in command positions for the duration of the exercise, whereas administrative roles involve selected cadets running the platoon and seeing to administrative needs when the cadets are not on exercise. Their performance during these exercise and admin appointments are performance evaluation criteria as well. Individual Wing Sergeants Major
conduct a change of command parade whenever there is a change in appointment holders.
Admin rank insignia
Additional loops and whorls denote appointment holders such as Cadet School Commander, etc. These ranks, known affectionately as "fishes" are considered "admin ranks", as compared with "exercise ranks".
Exercise rank insignia
During field exercises, appointment holders (e.g. exercise platoon commander, platoon sergeant, etc.) wear orange-colored exercise rank insignia similar to the rank insignia of a substantive appointment holder. For instance, the exercise platoon commander will wear orange lieutenant
's bars on his shoulderboards, while his exercise Platoon Sergeant
will wear a brassard
with First Sergeant
's chevrons.
SAFTI Military Institute
The SAFTI Military Institute is a tri-service military training institution for officers of all ranks of the Singapore Armed Forces . Located within an 88 hectare campus in Jurong West, it was officially opened by the then-prime minister Goh Chok Tong on 25 August 1995...
camp complex. Its role is to train officers of all three services of the Singapore Armed Forces
Singapore Armed Forces
The Singapore Armed Forces is the military arm of the Total Defence of the Republic of Singapore; as well as the military component of the Ministry of Defence. The SAF comprises three branches: the Singapore Army, the Republic of Singapore Air Force and the Republic of Singapore Navy...
. It is run independently of the other schools in the complex, but is ultimately overseen by the Commandant of SAFTI MI.
Officer Cadets
Officer Cadet School is the only commissioning route in the Singapore Armed ForcesSingapore Armed Forces
The Singapore Armed Forces is the military arm of the Total Defence of the Republic of Singapore; as well as the military component of the Ministry of Defence. The SAF comprises three branches: the Singapore Army, the Republic of Singapore Air Force and the Republic of Singapore Navy...
. Outstanding graduands from Basic Military Training and the Specialist Cadet School (Specialist
Specialist (Singapore)
In the Singapore Armed Forces , Specialists are the group of ranks equivalent to non-commissioned officers in other armed forces. This term was introduced in 1993, for a more "positive" rank classification. In the SAF, Warrant Officers are not considered Specialists.Like many other modern...
s are NCO
Non-commissioned officer
A non-commissioned officer , called a sub-officer in some countries, is a military officer who has not been given a commission...
-equivalents in the SAF) are sent to OCS to train to be officers. Regular Specialists may also attend OCS on application, recommendation, and selection. Trainees are known as Officer Cadets for Army
Singapore Army
The Singapore Army is the branch of the Singapore Armed Forces responsible for land operations. It is the largest of the three armed services and heavily reliant on a conscript army, comprising the majority of Singapore's Operationally Ready National Servicemen .-Capabilities:The mission of the...
and Air Force
Republic of Singapore Air Force
The Republic of Singapore Air Force is the air arm of the Singapore Armed Forces. It was first established in 1968 as the Singapore Air Defence Command...
servicemen, and Midshipmen for Navy
Republic of Singapore Navy
The Republic of Singapore Navy is the naval component of the Singapore Armed Forces , responsible for the defence of Singapore against sea-borne threats and protection of its sea lines of communications. Operating within the crowded littoral waters of the Singapore Strait, the RSN is regarded as...
servicemen respectively.
There are a total of 12 wings in OCS inclusive of tri-service wings. They are: Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta, Echo, Foxtrot, Golf, Hotel, Sierra, Tango, Mids and Air. Mids and Air Wings are for the Navy and Air Force Officer Cadets respectively.
Course
The Officer Cadet Course (apart from the Medical Officer Cadet Course) used to last 42 weeks but this was reduced to 38 weeks after a revamp of the National Service system. The course is divided into three terms: Service, Professional, and Joint term.Common Leadership Module
The Service Term starts with the Common Leadership module in the first two weeks of the Officer Cadet Course. This is also the Initiation period where the Officer Cadets are granted some latitude in terms of discipline and regimentation to facilitate adjustment. In this Module, the newly inducted officer cadets are introduced to the SAF Leadership Framework and the SAF Core Values before they are streamed to the army, navy, or air force subsequently. One of the aims of this module is getting the new Officer Cadets used to the new environment. Subsequently, Officer Cadets are streamed into their services based on aptitude and personal preference, and receive training specific to their service. The end of this module is marked by a solemn initiation ceremony in SAFTI MI's hallowed ceremonial hall, to officially mark the new officer cadet's entry to Officer Cadet School.
Service term
Officer Cadets who remain in the Army Wings (company-equivalents) undergo platoon
Platoon
A platoon is a military unit typically composed of two to four sections or squads and containing 16 to 50 soldiers. Platoons are organized into a company, which typically consists of three, four or five platoons. A platoon is typically the smallest military unit led by a commissioned officer—the...
- and section
Section (military unit)
A section is a small military unit in some armies. In many armies, it is a squad of seven to twelve soldiers. However in France and armies based on the French model, it is the sub-division of a company .-Australian Army:...
-level infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
training for their Service term, from weeks 3 to 14. At the end of Service term, the Officer Cadets may indicate their preferred vocation: Infantry, Armour, Artillery, Signals, Combat Engineers. The Officer Cadets are sent to the various vocations based on their personal preference, as well as other factors such as performance in the course, security clearance, etc. Officer Cadets may not choose Logistics as a vocation, but they may be selected for it.
Professional term
For the professional term, weeks 15 to 35, Officer Cadets in the Infantry remain in SAFTI MI, while those belonging to the other arms will depart for their respective schools (e.g. Signal Institute) to receive training specific to their arm of service. Before reporting to their respective schools, Officer Cadets in the support arms are sent for SOCJOT (Support arms Officer Cadet Jungle Orientation Training) in Brunei.
Infantry Officer Cadets will go on two overseas training trips during their stay in OCS. Usually, they will go to either Taiwan or Thailand for general infantry training, and Brunei for training in jungle terrain.
Officer Cadets in the Navy and Air Force Wings continue to receive training within SAFTI MI, before going for further training at sea for the Midshipmen, and Air Force Training Command for Air Force Cadets.
Joint term
On completion of their military training, all the Officer Cadets will return to SAFTI MI for their Commissioning Parade in the Joint term from weeks 36 to 38.
The first week of the Joint term mainly involves visits to all services and getting to know more on how the three services work with each other. Rehearsal for the commissioning parade will commence as early as two weeks before the date itself, it will be conducted by the School Sergeant Major
Sergeant Major
Sergeants major is a senior non-commissioned rank or appointment in many militaries around the world. In Commonwealth countries, Sergeants Major are usually appointments held by senior non-commissioned officers or warrant officers...
as well as with the assistance of other Wing Sergeants Major. Some former Officer Cadets believe that the rehearsal is even tougher than training itself. Either the President, or a representative (a cabinet minister) will officially commission them as Second Lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
s in the Singapore Armed Forces.
Appointments and rank insignia
Like officers and warrant officerWarrant Officer
A warrant officer is an officer in a military organization who is designated an officer by a warrant, as distinguished from a commissioned officer who is designated an officer by a commission, or from non-commissioned officer who is designated an officer by virtue of seniority.The rank was first...
s, Officer Cadets wear their rank insignia on shoulderboards. The insignia consist of one, two, or three white bars, denoting their seniority (Fortnight, Junior Bar, and Senior Bar cadets respectively). The graduating class of Officer Cadets wear peaked caps instead of beret
Beret
A beret is a soft, round, flat-crowned hat, designated a "cap", usually of woven, hand-knitted wool, crocheted cotton, or wool felt, or acrylic fiber....
s, and are accorded the privilege of being addressed "Sir" by junior Officer Cadets. At this point, they are given more privileges and responsibilities commensurate with their seniority.
All Officer Cadets will have a chance to take on exercise and admin appointments to practice their various leadership skills. Exercise roles involve selected cadets serving in command positions for the duration of the exercise, whereas administrative roles involve selected cadets running the platoon and seeing to administrative needs when the cadets are not on exercise. Their performance during these exercise and admin appointments are performance evaluation criteria as well. Individual Wing Sergeants Major
Company Sergeant Major
A company sergeant major is the senior non-commissioned soldier of a company in the armies of many Commonwealth countries, responsible for standards and discipline. In combat, his prime responsibility is the supply of ammunition to the company...
conduct a change of command parade whenever there is a change in appointment holders.
Admin rank insignia
Additional loops and whorls denote appointment holders such as Cadet School Commander, etc. These ranks, known affectionately as "fishes" are considered "admin ranks", as compared with "exercise ranks".
Exercise rank insignia
During field exercises, appointment holders (e.g. exercise platoon commander, platoon sergeant, etc.) wear orange-colored exercise rank insignia similar to the rank insignia of a substantive appointment holder. For instance, the exercise platoon commander will wear orange lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
's bars on his shoulderboards, while his exercise Platoon Sergeant
Platoon Sergeant
In many militaries, a platoon sergeant is the senior enlisted member of a platoon, who advises and supports the platoon's commanding officer in leading the unit.-Singapore:...
will wear a brassard
Brassard
A brassard or armlet is an armband or piece of cloth or other material worn around the upper arm, used as an item of military uniform to which rank badges may be attached instead of being stitched into the actual clothing...
with First Sergeant
First Sergeant
First sergeant is the name of a military rank used in many countries, typically a senior non-commissioned officer.-Singapore:First Sergeant is a Specialist in the Singapore Armed Forces. First Sergeants are the most senior of the junior Specialists, ranking above Second Sergeants, and below Staff...
's chevrons.
See also
- National Service in SingaporeNational Service in SingaporeConscription in Singapore, called National Service , requires all male Singaporean citizens and second-generation permanent residents who have reached the age of 18 to enrol in the military...
- School of Infantry SpecialistsSchool of Infantry SpecialistsThe Specialist Cadet School , formerly the School of Infantry Specialists , is the military training centre for specialists in the Singapore Army. The school is situated in Pasir Laba Camp in the western part of Singapore...
- Basic Military Training CentreBasic Military Training CentreThe Basic Military Training Centre is a military training facility located in Ladang, Pulau Tekong, in Singapore...