Singapore Armed Forces Training Institute

By Tan, Eugene written on 2001-08-22
National Library Board Singapore

Comments on article: InfopediaTalk

The Singapore Armed Forces Training Institute (SAFTI) officially opened on 18 June 1961. Its objective was to raise an officer corps for the Singapore Armed Forces. It was originally located at Pasir Laba Road, bounded by Upper Jurong Road and Lim Chu Kang Road. In 1995, the new SAFTI Military Institute (SAFTIMI) opened at Upper Jurong. 

The original site was located at Pasir Laba, an area preferred over Pulau Tekong and Pulau Ubin as a campsite. Peng Kang Hill and Good Morning Hill are some of the geographical features that made Pasir Laba a natural topography for military training. On 16 July 1967, SAFTI saw the first batch of 117 officer cadets graduate. The last officer cadets' commissioning parade at the old Pasir Laba camp was on 22 July 1995.

The new SAFTI Military Institute (SAFTI MI), located in the Upper Jurong area, was officially opened by Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong on 25 August 1995. Goh called it a "national institution", embodying the values of the nation and the will to "preserve our freedom and way of life". The SAFTI MI is dedicated to three levels of officer training: the Officer Cadet School, the advanced training schools and the Command and Staff College. It is a tri-service military institute catering to the training needs of the army, navy and the air force.

The SAFTI MI is the first "fenceless" SAF camp - allowing the public to move about freely. This open concept reflects the strong ties between the "military and the community".

SAFTI had for its formation sign, the distinctive torch and scimitar which remains for SAFTI MI. SAFTI's motto: "Towards Excellence" has been expanded under SAFTI MI to "To lead, to excel, to overcome". It was formulated in October 1987. The unofficial motto of SAFTI is: "The more you sweat in peace, the less you bleed in war."



Author
Eugene Tan



References 
Menon, R. (1995). To command: The SAFTI Military Institute. Singapore: Landmark Books.
(Call no.: RSING 355.2232095957 MEN)

Last commissioning parade for camp. (1995, July 23). The Straits Times, p. 1.

SAFTI turns 30 - memories of sweat-soaked drills amid high-tech skills. (1996, June 1). The Straits Times, Life! p. 1.

SAFTI throws its doors open to a curious public. (1995, September 4). The Straits Times, p. 30. 

Training of all SAF officers comes under one roof in Jurong. (1995, August 26). The Business Times, p. 2. 

SAFTI Military Institute. (2001). Retrieved August 22, 2001, from openacademy.mindef.gov.sg/OpenAcademy/SAFTI%20MI/index.htm

The information in this article is valid as at 2002 and correct as far as we are able to ascertain from our sources. It is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete history of the subject. Please contact the Library for further reading materials on the topic.


Subject
Politics and Government>>National Security
Military education--Singapore
Military training camps--Singapore
Law and government>>Security>>Army
Science and technology>>Engineering>>Military engineering



All Rights Reserved. National Library Board Singapore 2004.