National service

National Service was the name given to the system of military conscription employed in Great Britain between 1949 and 1960. The system of wartime conscription used between 1939 and 1949 was also officially called National Service, although in fact was usually referred to as "war service". The same term is still used to describe the compulsory military (and sometimes civilian) service that is still implemented in some countries, including Singapore, Greece, South Korea, Israel and the Russian Federation.

Singapore

In Singapore, the NS (Amendment) Act was passed on 14 March 1967, under which all able-bodied male citizens of 18-21 years of age are required serve a compulsory military service of two years. Upon completion of full-time NS, they undergo reservist training cycles of 40 days a year for the next 13 years.

Related Topics:
Singapore - 14 March - 1967

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The rationale behind conscription is two-fold. Firstly because it has a population of about 4 million (as of 2004), an army solely comprised of regulars would simply be too small to adequately defend the country (although many similar sized and smaller countries do not have conscription). Secondly, national service serves to foster racial harmony among the Chinese, Malay, Indian, and other populations of the country by requiring all males to go through similar experiences and thus being able to identify themselves to a common purpose of protecting the country.

Related Topics:
Conscription - 2004 - Chinese - Malay - Indian

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Currently, women are not required to serve National Service, though there have been debates about the issue.

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