Written Reply by Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen to Parliamentary Question on Full-time National Servicemen in Non-combat Vocations

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 SAF were deployed to be Administrative Support Assistants (or "clerks"), 4% of NSFs were deployed to be Base Supply Assistants and Service Supply Assistants (or "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.