No, signing on doesn't have to be forever.

In fact, the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) has specific programmes in place to help their personnel prepare for their next careers after hanging up their uniforms.

Programmes in place for personnel

Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen said in a written Parliamentary reply on Jan. 14 that MINDEF established the Career Transition Resource Centre (CTRC) in 2009, to equip retiring personnel with employable skills.

The CTRC's career advisors also offer personalised one-on-one career coaching and job referral services.

Minister Ng also highlighted the Lifelong Employability & Advancement Programme (LEAP), where funds and time off are provided for retiring personnel to attend courses and seminars, go for job interviews, and go for internships.

A career as a soldier has different physical requirements from the average job, so the retirement ages are different.

The next stage

Military experts can work until they're 60 years old.

Other officers and warrant officers usually retire at around 50 years old, due to the limited vocations for re-deployment across the SAF.

To help their personnel get another job, the SAF offers structured training to prepare them for leadership and management roles.

Other programmes train the personnel for careers in human resource, finance, operations research and training.

According to Minister Ng, employer surveys show that SAF personnel acquire skills and certification that are well-recognised, by both private and public sector employers.

Top image from The Singapore Army's Facebook page.