SAFTI Military Institute
Encyclopedia
Abbreviation
An abbreviation is a shortened form of a word or phrase. Usually, but not always, it consists of a letter or group of letters taken from the word or phrase...
: SAFTI MI, Simplified Chinese: 新加坡武装部队军训学院) is a tri-service military training institution for officers of all ranks 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...
(SAF). Located within an 88 hectare campus in Jurong West
Jurong West
Jurong West is a neighbourhood in Singapore, bounded by the Pan Island Expressway, the eastern edge of Jurong Camp, Boon Lay Way, Corporation Road, Fourth Chin Bee Road, International Road, Corporation Road, Ayer Rajah Expressway, Yuan Ching Road, Boon Lay Way, and along a Canal leading into Jurong...
, it was officially opened by the then-prime minister
Prime Minister of Singapore
The Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore is the head of the government of the Republic of Singapore. The President of Singapore appoints as Prime Minister a Member of Parliament who, in his opinion, is most likely to command the confidence of a majority of MPs.The office of Prime Minister...
Goh Chok Tong
Goh Chok Tong
Goh Chok Tong is the Senior Minister of Singapore and the chairman of the central bank of Singapore, the Monetary Authority of Singapore. He also served as the second Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore from 28 November 1990 to 12 August 2004, succeeding Lee Kuan Yew, the former Prime...
on 25 August 1995. Officers from the Singapore 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...
, Republic of Singapore 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...
and Republic of Singapore 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...
begin their training at the Officer Cadet School (OCS), before proceeding on to the SAF Advanced Schools and the Singapore Command and Staff College
Singapore Command and Staff College
The Goh Keng Swee Command and Staff College is one of five officer schools of the SAFTI Military Institute of the Singapore Armed Forces . It was formerly the Singapore Command and Staff College but was named after Goh Keng Swee in 2011...
(SCSC) at various stages of their careers.
History
Although the SAFTI MI is an amalgamated institution, it draws much of its heritage from the original Singapore Armed Forces Training InstituteSingapore Armed Forces Training Institute
Singapore Armed Forces Training Institute or SAFTI was where officers of the Singapore Armed Forces were trained in the past. SAFTI per se does not exist anymore...
(SAFTI), which was officially opened on 14 February 1966 at Pasir Laba Camp
Pasir Laba Camp
Pasir Laba Camp is an installation of the Singapore Armed Forces. It is composed primarily of Army tenant units, apart from tri-service SAF Warrant Officer School...
. The link to the past is preserved in both the name of the new institute, as well as the name of the bridge connecting Pasir Laba Camp with the new SAFTI MI. Officially named SAFTI Link, it is referred to by insiders as MI Bridge.
Architecture
There is much symbolism in the SAFTI MI campus. The Officer Cadet School HQ is described by the architect to be shaped like a cradleCradle
Cradle may refer to:Mechanical devices:*Bassinet, a small bed, often on rockers, in which babies and small children sleep* Ship cradle, supports a ship that is dry docked...
, from which officers are born (paraphrased).
SAFTI MI sits on a hill. The locations of each school are metaphors for the career of an SAF officer. The lower reaches house the barracks for Officer Cadets. Advancing up the hill, SAF Advanced Schools are encountered. Finally, at the pinnacle, is Singapore Command and Staff College.
A prominent feature is the Tower, approximately 60 m tall and visible from many parts of western Singapore. It is a three-sided tower, for the tri-service nature of the SAF. It is served by a lift and a 265 step stairway which symbolises the days a cadet requires to take towards commissioning day. This number should not be taken literally as the various commissioning courses vary in length.
The OCS parade square is 120 m by 170 m in area. It is designed to reduce the heat and glare of the sun. The viewing stands are able to accommodate up to 5000 people.
SAFTI MI was originally intended to be an "open camp" like the United States Military Academy
United States Military Academy
The United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located at West Point, New York. The academy sits on scenic high ground overlooking the Hudson River, north of New York City...
(West Point) and the United States Naval Academy
United States Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States...
(Annapolis
Annapolis (disambiguation)
-Education:* The United States Naval Academy, located in Annapolis, Maryland, informally referred to as "Annapolis"* The Annapolis Group, a nonprofit alliance of U.S. colleges.-United States:*Annapolis, Maryland, the capital of the U.S...
). Indeed, prior to the September 11 terrorist attacks, civilians did not need passes nor security checks before entering the complex. The only restricted areas were the offices and living quarters. Since 9/11, armed sentries are now posted at the main entrances, and side entrances have been barricaded with concertina wire. Passes and security checks are now mandatory for all, including military personnel in uniform, in military vehicles.
Organisation
The Commandant, a Brigadier General or Rear Admiral, heads SAFTI MI HQ. MI HQ overlooks all training and training support within the complex.Schools
There are a total of five schools in SAFTI MI: the Officer Cadet School (OCS) for cadets, SAF Advanced Schools (SAS) - one for each Service - for Captains, and the Singapore Command and Staff College (SCSC) for Majors and Lieutenant-Colonels.To meet changing needs, curriculum and various exercises of the schools go through major revamps about once every five years. The first revamp was in 1999, led by then-Permanent Secretary Peter Ho, and the most recent was led by BG Tan and his team in 2004.
In between the five years, there were smaller reviews to maintain currency. For example, after mission like Operation Flying Eagle, some of the course content in SCSC and other schools was tweaked. New doctrine is also infused into the curriculum by SAFTI MI after various exercises carried out by the SAF
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...
.
Leadership development is the means by which SAFTI MI tries to inculcate values, and better align the value in officers.
People don't come in with zero values, all of us have values from our parents, our upbringing, from the schools that we have attended. With this set of values, it is now a question of reaffirming some of them and realigning some of them to the SAF's core values which have been in place since the late 1980s, said BG Tan.
SAFTI MI has a branch called the Centre of Leadership Development (CLD). This is a full-time SAF
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...
centre with psychologist
Psychologist
Psychologist is a professional or academic title used by individuals who are either:* Clinical professionals who work with patients in a variety of therapeutic contexts .* Scientists conducting psychological research or teaching psychology in a college...
and headed by a former brigade commander. These people focus their entire attention on how to develop officers in leadership.
As for helping officers in handling uncertainty, a lot of different methodologies are incorporated in courses.
Officer Cadet School
Officer Cadet School (OCS) 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 conscripts from Basic Military Training and the School of Infantry Specialists
School of Infantry Specialists
The 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...
(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
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...
) are sent to OCS to train to be officers. On completion of their National Service, these officers will continue to serve with their men in the Operationally-Ready NSmen battalions. After commissioning, some officers may choose to continue to serve as career soldiers. Regular Specialists may also attend OCS on application, recommendation, and selection.
Prior to moving to the SAFTI MI complex, it was at the old SAFTI at Pasir Laba Camp
Pasir Laba Camp
Pasir Laba Camp is an installation of the Singapore Armed Forces. It is composed primarily of Army tenant units, apart from tri-service SAF Warrant Officer School...
.
Singapore Command and Staff College
Singapore Command and Staff College conducts the Command and Staff Course (CSC) for career officers, and the National Service Command and Staff Course (NSCSC) for selected reserve officers who have demonstrated potential for higher command and staff appointments in the SAF.Before moving to SAFTI MI in 1995, SCSC was located at Fort Canning
Fort Canning
Fort Canning is a small hill slightly more than 60 metres high in the southeast portion of the island city-state of Singapore, within the Central Area that forms Singapore's central business district...
, Marina Hill, and Seletar Camp.
SAFTI Services Centre
SAFTI Services Centre provides security, medical, dental, physiotherapy, transport, estate, signal and logistics support for all units within the camp complex.Sport facilities
SAFTI MI has extensive sporting and recreation facilities including a stadium with a soccer field and running track, an Olympic-sized swimming pool with a diving tower, and an indoor rock-climbing wall.Library
SAFTI MI Library houses the best collection on military historyMilitary history
Military history is a humanities discipline within the scope of general historical recording of armed conflict in the history of humanity, and its impact on the societies, their cultures, economies and changing intra and international relationships....
in Singapore. Previously, membership was only available for military personnel. Since, the management of the library has been taken over by the National Library Board
National Library Board
The National Library Board is a statutory board of the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts, Singapore...
, and ordinary library members may borrow books. The collection is available through inter-library loan to any of its other branches. This is especially convenient because SAFTI MI can be rather inaccessible to civilians due to its location and its security checkpoint.
Since 1 April 2007, National Library Board
National Library Board
The National Library Board is a statutory board of the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts, Singapore...
had handed the operations of the SAFTI MI library back to MINDEF. Along with the handover, the book return service has also been terminated. Ordinary library members need to apply for individual membership from then on.
Mess
As is the case for almost all camp complexes in the SAF, all the tenant units share a single Officers' Mess and a Warrant Officers' and Specialists' Mess. The Officers' Mess is located near the officers' living quarters, beside the artificial lake adjacent to the Singapore Discovery CentreSingapore Discovery Centre
The S'pore Discovery Centre is a 'edutainment' attraction that offers engaging exhibits for everybody, providing insights into what makes Singapore ticks.-History:...
. The Warrant Officers' and Specialists' Mess is similarly located near their accommodation blocks. The Officer Cadets have a mess too. However, they have much less liberty to use the facilities compared with the other personnel not under training.