PR serving NS in Singapore.

[Vincent88]

Hi guys,

I would like to get as much information about national service that differeniate a SINGAPOREAN and a PR serving national service. Cause i heard from some of my friends like they wont allow PR to go into certain elite unit or even OCS courses?

any guys out there could kindly share any information or knowledge you have on it?

Thanks

[taxico]

i don't think there're many PRs whom are in the commando unit, but i don't believe it's exclusive to singaporeans only.

due to the sheer number of "general positions" available, you might feel you're being passed over for selection to a particular spot because of your residency status but that's not the case.

OCS is opened to PRs as i know officers who have been commissioned prior to getting their citizenship. your chances are higher if you finish your BMT in the first half of the year.

this is because it operates on a course cycle of (in the past) 10 months with a limited number of companies. the biggest intakes are between march-april to stream in the junior college students (who finish school at the end of the year before).

the next intake will be for the polytechnic students in the second half of the year. admittedly it's a smaller cohort...

i also met PRs who have successfully undergone the SISPEC basic and advanced leader courses. this is an on-going course to produce section leaders.

if you feel you have a particular good reason why you ought to be posted someplace, you should talk to your commander about it; this includes your desire to become a sergeant or lieutenant.

however you need to be suitably qualified and assessed before heading on to OCS/SISPEC.

eg, are you fit and healthy? do you wear glasses? can you swim? how did you fare in your aptitude test? what were your school physical standards result like? how was your BMT performance? what are your educational qualifications? do you have leadership capabilities? blah...

likewise, you may not qualify for sensitive deployments if you are unable to pass security clearance (which may take citizenship status into account).

i understand the officer cadet course has been shortened because of the 6 month reduction in NS, but i would assume the intake cycles remained unchanged.

what do you want to achieve in NS?

[Vincent88]

i don't think there're many PRs whom are in the commando unit, but i don't believe it's exclusive to singaporeans only.

due to the sheer number of "general positions" available, you might feel you're being passed over for selection to a particular spot because of your residency status but that's not the case.

cool.. so there's still PR in commando unit? Cos i nv really hear anything abt it therefore wish to enquiry over here.

OCS is opened to PRs as i know officers who have been commissioned prior to getting their citizenship. your chances are higher if you finish your BMT in the first half of the year.

this is because it operates on a course cycle of (in the past) 10 months with a limited number of companies. the biggest intakes are between march-april to stream in the junior college students (who finish school at the end of the year before).

the next intake will be for the polytechnic students in the second half of the year. admittedly it's a smaller cohort...

Polytechnic student over here. Physically wise i think i would be able to catch up with most of the people as joined quite alot of sport such as dragonboat last time. But for the OCS is only to infrantry unit that what i heard from my friend who is an officer in NS now.

likewise, you may not qualify for sensitive deployments if you are unable to pass security clearance (which may take citizenship status into account).

hmm.. quite curious about this.. what's security clearance? and how do we become singaporean? after serving NS then declare interest? or b4 serving NS we will have to declare out interest?

what do you want to achieve in NS?

thanks taxico for replying my thread.. Sort of have high ambition and wish to achieve good result during my NS.. been hoping to get into commando if possible or at least aim for a OCS.

[taxico]

Polytechnic student over here. Physically wise i think i would be able to catch up with most of the people as joined quite alot of sport such as dragonboat last time.

But for the OCS is only to infrantry unit that what i heard from my friend who is an officer in NS now.

hmm.. quite curious about this.. what's security clearance? and how do we become singaporean? after serving NS then declare interest? or b4 serving NS we will have to declare out interest?

Sort of have high ambition and wish to achieve good result during my NS.. been hoping to get into commando if possible or at least aim for a OCS.

the decision on who gets to go to commando/naval diving unit are made before you even start BMT (you report directly to their units), so it's best to work on your NAPFA test. it helps if you don't wear glasses and swim marvelously.

although OCS churns out many infantry officers, it's not the only soldier they train. a cadet may even be posted to other services! head on over to the SAFTI website and they will have information on the course.

infantry cadets are based at OCS during their entire course, while other cadets (armor, artillery, logistics, signal, blah) move away from OCS to their units for specialized training mid-way in the course.

although some friends you make at the start of the course will be posted away, everyone comes back to OCS again towards the conclusion of the officer cadet course... ahhh, good times.

you may state your intent to become an officer or specialist (sergeants) during interviews with your platoon commander during BMT.

if you have a preference for a particular area of interest (eg, you graduated with an aerospace diploma and you'd like to be in the air force) you should also mention this.

IMO infantry officers are the most flexible when it comes to the range of postings. i was commissioned an infantry officer, sent to intelligence school and finally ended up in a non-combat position!

if you make it to SISPEC, there're still opportunities to enter OCS at a later time as long as you perform well (many people drop out of OCS for a whole range of reasons).

i haven't much to say about security clearance nor becoming a singaporean; i'm sure you'll find out more (where applicable) when the time comes.

it's good to have such a mindset before you go in. make sure you head on in with an open mind and make plenty of friends.

among them are the few that you'll remember for life. good bastards, they are.

[waz]

Hi Vincent88

I do not know the policy now, even some locals are not allowed to serve in the military "sensitive" units.

My NS days were many years back (more than 20 years ago). And it is a undisclosed fact that certain minority are not allowed in certain units. I have experienced it. Seen it.

Policy might have changed a bit nowadays with gradual deployment of the minority into some of these so called elite or sensitive unit. But too late for me. The damaged (loyalty) has been done.

Goodby Singapore.


[quote="Vincent88"]Hi guys,

I would like to get as much information about national service that differeniate a SINGAPOREAN and a PR serving national service. Cause i heard from some of my friends like they wont allow PR to go into certain elite unit or even OCS courses?

any guys out there could kindly share any information or knowledge you have on it?

Thanks[/quote]

[Rafale]

Hi guys,

I would like to get as much information about national service that differeniate a SINGAPOREAN and a PR serving national service. Cause i heard from some of my friends like they wont allow PR to go into certain elite unit or even OCS courses?

any guys out there could kindly share any information or knowledge you have on it?

Thanks

Do not worry. I have a friend who is a PR and is an infantry officer.

If you are aiming for elite units, among my friends, I can tell you that those who were posted to the elite units are all citizens. Not sure what the policy for CMPB is though.

Most importantly, you have no control over where you will be posted to as it is decided entirely by CMPB. You should aim to do well in the computer test done before enlistment and perform well during BMT to have a good shot at command school.

The most basic and easiest thing you can work on towards achieving your goal (I presume is entering OCS) is by achieving and maintaining a good level of fitness.

Good luck and enjoy.

[sundaymorningstaple]

You haven't indicated your country of citizenship. If you are an American, you would do well to research the effects of having served as an officer in a foreign military which are considerably different post military than it is if you served as a regular non-com soldier. That is provided you are planning to return to the US and also registered as required with the US Selective Service as required. (Even though it's not currently being utilized).