S'pore PR served in SAF Volunteer Corps since 2015 as he wants to give back to the nation

The SAFVC is open to Singaporeans and PRs who are not required to serve NS.

Jason Fan | March 06, 2021, 07:49 PM

A Singapore Permanent Resident has garnered attention on social media, after revealing that he has been a member of the SAF Volunteer Corps (SAFVC) since 2015.

The SAFVC is a uniformed volunteer auxiliary of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), which provides opportunities for those who do not need to serve National Service (NS) to contribute to Singapore's national defence.

Privileged to serve

According to the man's Facebook post, he has been living in Singapore for 17 years, and is married to a Singaporean, with two children.

He said that he also has a group of close friends, who he considers to be his extended family.

He added that he was "privileged" to have the opportunity to serve alongside Singapore's national servicemen across different deployments, and noted that he has made many lasting friendships during his time in the SAFVC.

In his Facebook post, he mentioned that his reason for joining the SAFVC was simple -- to play his part to defend the place he calls home.

"Singapore has provided me with so much, and it's important for me to give back too," he said.

You can see his full Facebook post here:

Those who are not required to serve NS can sign up with the SAFVC

The SAFVC was established on Oct. 13, 2014, allowing Singaporeans and Permanent Residents (PRs) who are not required to serve NS.

This includes women, first-generation PRs and new citizens.

Those aged 18 to 45 can sign up as volunteers, where they will undergo Basic Training conducted by HQ SAFVC.

Volunteers may serve a variety of different roles, although they will still need to be subject to a selection process for the requisite role.

Top image via Michael Ryan/FB and The Singapore Army/FB.