Introduction

In May 2009, Deputy Prime Minister and then-Minister for Defence Teo Chee Hean announced the introduction of the Military Domain Experts Scheme (MDES). The scheme, together with enhancements to the existing officers' and warrant officers' schemes, would allow the SAF to recruit, develop and retain able and committed people to build a strong, capable and dynamic 3rd Generation SAF.

Key Features

Military Experts. The MDES is a uniformed scheme for SAF regulars, designed to allow Military Experts (MEs) to develop deep expertise and specialisation in key military domains like engineering and intelligence. These MEs can enjoy a full career up to age 60. As military personnel, MEs will continue to bear arms and be deployed in operational roles when required.

Rank Structure. The MDES has an 8-rank structure, from ME1 to ME8, to cater to different job levels and skill requirements. There are two main entry points at ME1 and ME4. ME1 is primarily for those holding diploma qualifications and below, while university graduates may come in at ME4. Salaries for the MDES are competitive and benchmarked against similar jobs in the private sector. 

The MEs don the MDES ranks as shown in Figure 1 and 2 below.

Figure 1: MDES Rank Insignia (For Number 4 Uniforms for Male & Female MEs, and Number 3 Uniforms for Male MEs)

Figure 2: MDES Rank Insignia (For Number 3 Uniforms for Female MEs)

MDES Vocations and Route of Advancement. The MDES vocations cover a wide spectrum of specialisation. Taking the example of the Engineer vocation, MEs in the Air Force can specialise in fields such as Aircraft & Weapons Systems and Airfield Operations; MEs in the Army can specialise in Electronics, Armament and Automotive; and MEs in the Navy can specialise in Naval Engineering and Naval Combat Systems.

The career progression of an ME is based on his or her degree of expertise and work performance. For example, a diploma graduate joining the MDES in the Engineer vocation will start off as an Assistant Engineer (ME1), as shown in Figure 3 below. Throughout the ME's career, there will be ample professional development opportunities to prepare the ME for higher appointments. As a uniformed personnel, the ME will go through various courses to attain leadership skills and military knowledge which will enable the ME to operate with other military counterparts in the SAF as an integrated force. The ME will also attend Domain Specialisation Courses to deepen his or her specialist knowledge.

Figure 3: MDES ROA

Scholarships/Study Awards and Continuing Education. There are numerous academic sponsorships and continuing education opportunities from diploma to post-graduate studies for the MEs.

a.    Personnel joining the MDES can look forward to a range of scholarships and study awards to pursue academic courses locally and overseas.

b.    MEs who have performed well and demonstrated potential can upgrade themselves academically through a range of study awards, from polytechnic diploma to post-graduate degrees. 

The scheme took effect from 1 April 2010.