|
Singapore People's Defence Force and National Cadet Corps
In the late 1980s, the People's Defence Force, with
30,000
members organized under two commands, and the National
Cadet Corps,
with an enrollment of 20,000 high school and university
students,
were Singapore's only paramilitary organizations. The
People's
Defence Force was established in 1965 to absorb former
members of
several paramilitary organizations that, prior to
independence, had
been part of the Singapore Volunteer Corps. By 1980,
however, fewer
than 200 volunteers remained in the volunteer force, and
most of
its personnel were national servicemen who had completed
their
twenty-four to thirty months of active duty. These
personnel were
assigned to units of the People's Defence Force to
complete their
reserve obligation. The ministries of defence and
education were
jointly responsible for the administration of the
voluntary
National Cadet Corps, which had army, air force, and naval
components. Approximately 10 percent of the nation's high
school
students participated in this extracurricular program. The
legal
framework for the People's Defence Force and National
Cadet Corps
was provided by parliamentary acts passed in 1965 and
1971,
respectively.
The Army General Staff had operational responsibility
for the
People's Defence Force. The specific organization and
missions of
units of the two People's Defence Force commands
undoubtedly were
similar to those found in the army reserves. Guarding
coastal areas
and local administrative jurisdictions against possible
sabotage
and other military actions during wartime or a national
emergency
were the most likely assignments for battalions. Unit
training was
said to have been limited to physical fitness, weapons
familiarization, and infrequent mobilization exercises.
Data as of December 1989
|
