Women's Boot Camp Gives Participants a Dip into National Service and Encourages Everyone to Play their Part for Total Defence

Senior Minister of State for Defence Mr Zaqy Mohamad with Women's Boot Camp participants at the Closing Ceremony.

The fourth iteration of the Women's Boot Camp (WBC) was held at Maju Camp from 3 to 5 December 2023. The camp was a ground-up initiative by the Advisory Council on Community Relations in Defence (ACCORD) Family and Community (F&C) Council, and was supported by the Singapore Armed Forces Volunteer Corps (SAFVC). The camp aimed to give women a glimpse into National Servicemen's training through participation in modified Basic Military Training (BMT) activities. As such, they could better relate to the experiences, and demonstrate stronger support and involvement in National Service (NS) and Total Defence (TD). Senior Minister of State for Defence Mr Zaqy Mohamad was the Guest of Honour at the Closing Ceremony.

This edition of the WBC was attended by 66 women aged 14 to 64. The participants completed a series of modified iconic NS activities, including the handling of a Singapore Assault Rifle 21 (SAR 21), a 2-km route march, consumption of combat rations, and an introduction to the Standard Obstacle Course (SOC). As a lead up to the commemoration of Total Defence 40 (TD40) in 2024, the programme culminated in a Total Defence Table-Top Exercise (TD TTX). Through the exercise, participants discussed the impact of current key issues affecting Singapore and reflected on how individuals, communities and businesses can be better prepared for crises and disruption. The participants also pledged their support for TD and discussed their roles in a serious supply chain disruption.

Speaking at the Closing Ceremony, Mr Zaqy highlighted that strong support for NS and TD was a cornerstone of Singapore's defence, and the various ways that women can contribute in supporting NS and TD. He said, “It is a wonderful achievement to get our women to have a better sense of what it means to be part of Total Defence because it is important for all of us, whether it is the military or civilians, to understand things like food security, military security, psychological defence, and cyber defence.” Noting that a significant number of WBC participants indicated an interest to join the SAFVC as volunteers and to join the SAF as a career, Mr Zaqy said to the participants, “We want more of you to be involved, to better understand what it means to defend Singapore, and certainly all of us have a role to play.”

For this iteration, ACCORD has expanded the WBC into a full Defence Immersion Programme (DIP) for Women where participants can take a dip into the experience of the Army, Navy, Air Force and the Digital and Intelligence Service (DIS). This new initiative aims to provide women with a better understanding of the Singapore Armed Forces capabilities and how individuals can play a larger role in supporting TD and NS. The WBC is one of the programmes offered to engage women under the DIP initiative.

Camp participants undergoing the Standard Obstacle Course (SOC).

Camp participants undergoing familiarisation of the Singapore Assault Rifle – 21st Century (SAR 21).

Camp participants firing blanks using the SAR 21.

Camp participants heating up combat rations in a mess tin in the field.

Camp participants experiencing a 2km route march around the camp.

Camp participants learning more about Singapore Armed Forces equipment during the static weapons display.

Camp participants taking part in a Total Defence Table-Top Exercise.