RSAF celebrates Singapore Armed Forces Day

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Brian Stives
  • 366th Fighter Wing Public Affairs Office
MOUNTAIN HOME AIRE FORCE BASE, Idaho --  The 428th Fighter Squadron, Republic of Singapore air force, celebrated Singapore Armed Forces day, or SAF day, July 1 with the deliverance of the Defense Minister's speech, recitation of the SAF Pledge and singing of the Singapore National Anthem at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho.

The concept of a SAF day was finalized in early 1969. The objective for this special day was for the members of the armed forces to reaffirm their pledge of loyalty and dedication to the SAF and the nation. It would also allow them to reflect on their roles and responsibilities in the defense of the nation.

The first SAF day, then known as Armed Forces Day, was held July 1, 1969, and witnessed a 1,500-strong contingent of servicemen and women in a grand parade finale and march-past at Jalan Besar Stadium in Singapore. In a day filled with regimentation and pledges of loyalty, the most solemn moment was the presentation of the SAF Flag for the first time to the 3rd Battalion, Singapore Infantry Regiment, or SIR.

Since its inception in 1965, the SAF has grown from a small volunteer force to a military force with broad multi-spectral capabilities. This transformation would have seemed improbable in 1965 when Singapore became an independent nation. The fledgling SAF then comprised of 1 and 2 SIR, the Singapore Volunteer Corps and two Navy ships, the RSS Panglima and the RSS Singapura.

Over the years, the SAF has seen its operational capability and readiness advance by leaps and bounds as it acquired weapons and equipment that routinely test the boundaries of leading-edge technology. Through its successful humanitarian, rescue and United Nations missions and the accolades gathered from the armed forces of friendly states undergoing multilateral training, the SAF has shown that it is capable, credible and ready. The SAF instills confidence in Singaporeans as the primary protector of their nation's sovereignty and territorial integrity.