Proportion of Full-time National Servicemen Assigned to Non-Combat Vocations
Ministry of DefenceSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns the proportion of full-time National Servicemen (NSFs) in non-combat vocations, as raised by Mr Leong Mun Wai. Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen noted that since 2016, 8% of NSFs were clerks, 4% storemen, and 3% in other non-combat roles, with these proportions remaining stable. Although enlistees with health conditions have increased, Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen stated that the SAF is moving away from binary medical classifications to better optimize individual contributions. Roles and vocation requirements are being redesigned through technological advancements to ensure more NSFs are eligible for a wider range of duties. These measures aim to maximize the utility of every national serviceman regardless of the growing prevalence of mental or other health issues.
Transcript
3 Mr Leong Mun Wai asked the Minister for Defence since 2000 (a) what is the proportion of full-time National Servicemen who are assigned to (i) clerk (ii) storeman and (iii) other non-combat vocations; (b) whether these proportions have increased over the years; and (c) if so, whether these proportions are expected to further increase with the growing prevalence of mental and other health issues in the population.
Dr Ng Eng Hen: Since 2016, when more comprehensive vocational deployment statistics were captured, about 8% of full-time national servicemen (NSFs) enlisted in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) were deployed to be Administrative Support Assistants (clerks), 4% of NSFs were deployed to be Base Supply Assistants and Service Supply Assistants (storemen) and 3% were deployed to other "Non-Combat" vocations. These proportions have remained stable over the past eight years.
In line with national trends, the proportion of enlistees with mental or other health issues have increased in recent years. To enable NSFs of varying health conditions to be deployed to a range of roles, the SAF has been redesigning its medical classification and vocational deployment systems to shift away from the binary classification of a serviceman, either as Combat-Fit or Non-Combat-Fit. It has also redesigned roles and reviewed vocation requirements, often leveraging on technological advancements. These measures will enable more NSFs to be deployed to roles which they were previously not eligible for and helps the SAF optimise the contributions of every national serviceman.