Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Digital Development and Information and Ministry of Health, Dr Janil Puthucheary inspected the 62nd Specialist Cadet Graduation Parade at Pasir Laba Camp this evening. A total of 977 graduands comprising 767 from the Singapore Army, 75 from the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN), 30 from the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF), and 105 from the Digital and Intelligence Service (DIS), graduated as Specialists and Military Experts of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF). 

Addressing the graduands at the parade, Dr Janil highlighted that 2025 marks both 60 years of Singapore’s independence as well as 60 years of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) – a significant milestone for the SAF. He said, “We started with barely more than a thousand men, two infantry battalions, two wooden boats, and no air force. From there, we have built up the SAF, just as we have built up Singapore. Singapore has become a modern metropolis, and the SAF has become a modern armed force. In these 60 years of nation-building, the SAF has been instrumental in protecting Singapore against a wide variety of threats. The SAF has been defending our sovereignty and safeguarding our way of life.” 

Dr Janil also reaffirmed the need to continually strengthen the pillars of Total Defence as well as the SAF’s continuous efforts to strengthen its capabilities amidst an evolving security landscape. These include investing in realistic training facilities as well as making long-term investments in both conventional warfighting and hybrid capabilities, which will equip service personnel with the necessary competencies to operate effectively across various scenarios. He emphasised how the SAF demonstrated its operational readiness through its ability to support various humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations, such as the most recent delivery of Singapore’s seventh tranche of humanitarian supplies for Gaza.  

Dr Janil reminded the graduands of the important role that they play as leaders, and the importance of leadership to ensure a capable and operationally ready SAF. He said, “We need capable leaders in the SAF inspiring our people, rallying our people to the common cause of defending our homeland. To our young leaders who face a rapidly changing modern battlefield: you must be swift to recognise emerging threats; you must be proactive in seeking innovative solutions; you must counter unfamiliar challenges and accomplish your mission in better ways. You must also balance mission demands with empathy for the men and women under your charge, and do so deftly with skill and care. Leadership requires patience, unwavering dedication, and a selfless commitment of time and energy to both the mission and your people.  

The graduation parade marked the completion of the 22-week Specialist Cadet Course for graduands from the Singapore Army, the RSN, the RSAF and the DIS, where they trained under rigorous and realistic conditions to sharpen their respective vocation expertise. The newly graduated Specialists and Military Experts will go on to assume command, training and staff appointments in the SAF. Present at the parade were senior SAF commanders, as well as families and friends of the graduands.