Under the Enlistment Act, all male Singapore citizens and permanent residents (PR) who reach the age of 16 1/2 years are liable for NS. They are required to serve 2 or 2 1/2 years of full-time service and up to 40 days of National Service every year until the age of 50 (for senior officers) or 40 (for junior officers).

Three courses are available in the Home Team Academy. The Officer Cadet Trainee course, Junior Officer Basic course and the Vigilante Corp course which are 9 months, 5 months and 3 months respectively. The course in which you are liable for will depend on your PES status and educational qualifications. The OCT course for senior officers will only be available to those who have undergone the Basic Military Training (BMT).

Basic Law and Policing skills will be taught during the course. These include:

- Standard Obstacles Course (SOC)
- Weapon Handling (.38 Smith & Wesson Revolver for   JOB/OCT and Pump Gun for VC)
- Tae-kwon-do
- Swimming and Field Sports
- Basic Self Defense Tactics
- Crowd Control Drills
- Penal Code

There will also be shooting practices at the ranges. You will be trained physically and inculcated with a sense of discipline. By the end of your course, you must reach a certain level of proficiency in the Individual Physical Proficiency test (IPPT), Standard Obstacle Course (SOC), Marksmanship Test, Swimming Test and certain aspects of Law.

Training will be tough but rewarding. Your stamina and fitness will be gradually developed through endurance and physical exercises so that you will be able to cope with the training physically and mentally.

You will be given a deferment from NS, if:

- You are attending local full-time 'O' level, 'A' level or   Diploma studies.
- You are participating in an Institute of Technical Education   (ITE) or Economic Development Board (EDB) apprentice   training scheme.
- You are experiencing financial/social hardship or business   disintegration.
- You are temporarily medically unfit.
- You are serving as a regular officer in an Approved   Uniformed service, i.e. the Singapore Armed Forces,   Singapore Police Force or the Singapore Civil Defence   Force
- You are pursuing studies overseas. However, you are   likely to be granted deferment only if you are 17 1/2 years   old or younger at the date of commencement of your   course. This deferment will only be valid for that particular   course. If you are granted deferment to study overseas,   you will be required to furnish a bond.

You can apply for a deferment by writing to:

Deferment Office Central Manpower Base
Depot Road Camp Depot Road
Singapore 109676
Tel : (65) 373 3133/4/5/6

You should also attach documentary proof in support of your application.

You are required to apply for an Exit Permit (EP) if you leave Singapore.

With effect from 1 May 2001, you can apply for an Exit Permit at you own division/unit if your overseas trip is not more than 30 continuous days.

Subject to performance, a serviceman may be allowed disruption from full-time NS to pursue tertiary studies after having served at least 24 months of full-time NS. This is a privilege which will not be extended to those who perform unsatisfactorily during their full-time NS or have poor disciplinary records.

Those who are enlisted later than their cohort because MINDEF cannot accommodate the whole cohort in one intake, may be allowed disruption even if they have not completed 24 months of service. This is to enable them to begin their tertiary studies at the same time as those in their cohort.

Fill in an application form available from your division/unit. You also need to get a letter of acceptance from the university indicating the course of study, the date of commencement of the course and the duration.

Submit your completed application form and your letter of acceptance to your division/unit's PNSF Personnel Officer who will in turn submit your forms to NSF Personnel Affairs Branch.

You are also advised to wait for your disruption application to be approved before paying fees to the university.

You can be disrupted from full-time National Service up to one week (if you are studying locally), and up to two weeks (if you are studying overseas) before the commencement of the date of your studies, or after having served 2 years of full-time NS, whichever is later.

If you wish to change your course or university, you must seek approval first. The change must not lead to an extension of the disruption period by more than a year, and the qualification obtained must be equivalent to or higher than that of the original course.

You will have to complete the balance of your full-time NS after the period of disruption. If you wish to resume serving the balance of NS during your term vacation, you can request to do so by writing or e-mail to NSF Personnel Branch. You will be allowed to resume serving your balance of NS if you can complete your balance of your full-time NS liabilities during the vacation. You may not, however, be posted back to your previous unit/department.

That really depends on your rank and/or vocation: - Junior Officers will serve up to the age of 40. - Senior Officers will serve up to age of 50. PNSmen will be expected to undergo a yearly National Service training / recall cycle immediately after completion of full-time NS.

PNSmen can be called up more than once a year beside their usual 14 days (but is limited to 40 days a workyear). You may be called up for activities such as:

- Non-KINS Training
- KINS Training
- Mobilisation
- Individual Physical Proficiency Test ( IPPT ) & remedial   Training
- Medical reviews
- Special Duties recall
- Upgrading courses
- Other NS Activities like:
     - briefing for annual execise/moblisation
     - pre-course briefing
     - medical review
     - workplan briefing
     - seminar
     - any other activity deemed necessary by Dir PNS

For NON-KINs training
PNSmen would be trained on community policing and patrolling skills during the ICTs. They also have to go through their IPPT and shooting during the 4 days of ICT.

For KINs training
PNSmen will undergo a 14 days tactical training in the Special Operations Command.

PNSmen are given 1 to 3 months' notice for their yearly recall. The advance notice is to give them sufficient time to make necessary adjustments to their work commitment so that they can attend to their NS duties as scheduled.

However, deferment from recall may be granted for the following reasons:

- Compassionate grounds, e.g serious illness
- Death of next-of-kin
- Marriage/honeymoon and birth of child
- National representation at recognized regional and   international games
- New Employment
- Newly established business
- Examination for studies (but only one such deferment is   allowed in each workyear)
- Any other reasons which are considered urgent and valid.

Period of deferment should not exceed 6 month in each instance. A PNSmen is only allowed to apply for deferment from reserve service after he has attended at least one recall.

You are required to apply for an Exit Permit (EP) if you stay outside Singapore more than 6 months.

Exit Permit can be applied in the following ways: -

- Online Application for electronic exit permit (eEP) via the NS Portal at www.ns.sg
- In person at
  Exit Permit Office,
  Police National Service Department,
  1 Mount Pleasant Road , Block 2,
  Singapore 298333

Tel: 6478 3357/ 3358
Fax: 6478 3259

Operating Hours:
8.30 am to 6.00 pm (Weekdays)
8.30 am to 1.00pm (Saturdays)

- Email: SPF_Exit_Permit@spf.gov.sg

- NS Hotline: 1800-3676767 (1800-eNSNSNS)