New network aims to double volunteers contributing to Singapore’s defence to 3,000 in 3 to 5 years

SINGAPORE – A new volunteer network has been set up to support Singapore’s defence and will, for a start, create the capacity for nearly 400 new volunteers. These will include new roles such as curating content for an NS gallery.

The Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) aims to expand the pathways through which the broader community can play a supporting role alongside national servicemen.

This follows a move to consolidate various volunteer opportunities, including military roles in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) Volunteer Corps, under the new Singapore Defence Volunteer Network (SG Defence).

The network aims to double the current 1,500 or so military and civilian volunteers in the next three to five years.

Senior Minister of State for Defence Zaqy Mohamad, who announced the formation of the network at the debate on MINDEF’s budget in February, told the media at the launch on May 12 that conflicts in the Middle East and Europe have shown the broad impact volunteers can have.

“You look at the misinformation campaigns, you see supply chain disruptions and hybrid warfare – it not just hits the military, but really it hits society as a whole,” said Mr Zaqy at the Central Manpower Base.

“And therefore, our response has to be a whole-of-society response in such cases. That is why, today, we are changing the paradigm.”

Mr Zaqy said pulling together various aspects of volunteerism under a single platform allows the community to be brought together. It also creates more opportunities for volunteers to serve alongside national servicemen and make their roles more meaningful.

SG Defence will also bring together 10 civilian volunteer schemes, including SAFRA’s, whose volunteers help its staff in activities such as fitness support and defence engagement.

There will also be roles at the upcoming NS Gallery, at NS Square in Marina Bay.

The gallery, expected to open in 2028, will feature stories and the contributions of SAF, police and Singapore Civil Defence Force national servicemen across generations through various multimedia platforms and hardware displays.

Volunteer roles at the gallery include creative designers, who will be involved in conceptualising, designing and developing visual materials that shape the gallery’s visual direction and presentation, as well as collections assistants, who will support the curatorial team in cataloguing and sorting materials and artefacts.

The roles also include Defence Collective Singapore volunteer guides, whose responsibilities include leading tours at places such as the Singapore Discovery Centre and Singapore Navy Museum.

Nexus, the government agency responsible for Total Defence and National Education, will coordinate SG Defence.

MINDEF said the network will offer diverse opportunities designed to match different interests, skills and availability.

“Individuals who are passionate about different fields such as education, heritage preservation, creative design or direct military support can find meaningful ways to contribute to our defence,” it added.

Following its incorporation into SG Defence, the SAF Volunteer Corps (SAFVC) will review its entry requirements and training approach to enable individuals with a broader range of abilities and experiences to contribute more meaningfully. Launched in 2014, it has about 1,100 volunteers.

New roles will also be created for SAFVC volunteers, while the corps will also have a non-uniformed military volunteer scheme so that individuals with specialised professional expertise in areas such as counselling or veterinary medicine can contribute to the SAF without undergoing military training.

MINDEF aims to double the size of the SAFVC through these efforts in the coming years.

Among those who will be volunteering in a new role is SAFVC Volunteer (SV) 2 Liew Zhen Hui, 42.

SV2 Liew, who is from Malaysia, has studied and worked in Singapore since 2001 and became a Singapore citizen in 2024. He has been a volunteer since 2020, beginning as an auxiliary security trooper.

When the opportunity to take part in a basic rigger course arose, he applied and was selected to serve alongside SAF regulars in preparing parachutes for airborne training.

SV2 Liew, a senior specialist at the Singapore University of Technology and Design’s Fabrication Lab, noted the immense responsibility of the job, where the life of every soldier who uses the parachutes he works on is at stake.

“We have to approach the whole (task) with 100 per cent attention to detail and safety in mind,” he said.

While civilian roles have a minimum age of 16, certain roles have a higher minimum age. Most of the roles are open to all residents, including new citizens, permanent residents and foreigners.

SAFVC is open to women, first-generation permanent residents and new citizens who are between 18 and 45 years old.

Individuals interested in SG Defence can explore the various volunteer schemes and apply at go.gov.sg/sgdefence

MINDEF said SG Defence will continue expanding, with new volunteer schemes and opportunities to be announced progressively on its portal.

For SV3 Sarada Karri, 51, who has been serving with the SAFVC since 2017, volunteering has built a “uniform connection” with her son, who enlisted in January 2024.

Before his enlistment, they had done physical training together, and she also showed him how to fold the sleeves of an SAF uniform.

While serving his NS, they bonded over their shared experience, with SV3 Sarada fulfilling her yearly commitment as an auxiliary security trooper.

SV3 Sarada, who came to Singapore from India in 1997 and is now a Singapore permanent resident, said being part of SAFVC has helped her with her sense of belonging in Singapore.

Recommending that those new to the country join as well, she said: “It is one way to get to know and understand more about national defence.”

Correction note: This story has been updated following a clarification from MINDEF that the NS Gallery is expected to open in 2028.