Response to The Straits Times Forum Letter on ''Son back from US hit by 'capacity constraint''

I refer to Mr Michael Lee's letter "Son back from US hit by 'capacity constraint'" (ST, 14 Sep 09).
Enlistment for Full-time National Service (NS) takes place every quarter. This enables the Singapore Armed Forces, the Singapore Police Force and the Singapore Civil Defence Force to maintain their operational readiness, and to accommodate more than 20,000 pre-enlistees who are due for enlistment each year. The assignment of pre-enlistees to their respective enlistment intakes is based on various considerations, such as the individual's medical fitness, the type of Basic Military Training intake that he will be enlisted into, as well as training and operational resource requirements. Hence, the waiting time for enlistment for each individual will vary and depend on the intake the individual is scheduled for.
Similar to pre-enlistees studying in Singapore, pre-enlistees returning from overseas studies will also have to await their turn for enlistment. They are normally scheduled for enlistment six to eight months upon the completion of their studies or their return to Singapore, whichever is later. MINDEF works on the principle that males from the same school cohort enter university in the same calendar year.
Based on the current assignment plan, Mr Lee's son is likely to be enlisted in the intake starting December 2009 to Feburary 2010 with others of his age cohort who are taking their 'A' Levels in schools in Singapore. Mr Lee's son will be able to enter university in the academic year of 2012, no later than his local male peers from the same age cohort.

Colonel Darius Lim
Director, Public Affairs
Ministry of Defence

MINDEF's reply was published as "Mindef: Why waiting period varies for pre-enlistees", The Straits Times, 18 Sep 09