When Singapore gained her independence in 1965, she needed a military institute to train Officers and Non-Commissioned Officers (NCOs) in military knowhow and the art of warfare. The Singapore Armed Forces Training Institute (SAFTI) was therefore set up, in Feb 1966, to train leaders of men in the SAF. The area chosen for the institute was Pasir Laba, which mean “rich soil”.

Even as construction was underway at Pasir Laba for SAFTI, a core of 60 Officers and NCOs were selected to attend the first three-month Instructors’ Preparatory Course at Jurong Primary School. They were taught by a group of foreign advisors who were keen on rigorous training and advocated the doctrine of leading troops by example.

A recruitment campaign was mounted in May 1966 by the forerunner of the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Interior and Defence. The selection process included written tests, IQ tests, interviews and physical fitness tests so that only the best were selected to qualify for Officer training. Out of 2500 young men, 300 were eventually selected to qualify for Officer training at Pasir Laba Camp on 1 Jun 1966. These fearless pioneers soon earned a reputation for their fighting spirit and SAFTI quickly grew to become a household name associated with excellence, ruggedness and tough training.

Dr Goh Keng Swee, then Minister of Defence, officiated the opening of SAFTI on 18 Jun 1966. The institute was presented with its formation sign of a torch (signifying education) and sword (denoting military training).

With the rapid build-up of combat and service elements in the SAF, SAFTI gradually grew to include special-to-arms training schools besides the School of Infantry Section Leaders. These include the schools of Artillery, Engineers, Armor, Signals, Infantry Weapons and Military Medicine. 117 out of the 300 cadets successfully commissioned as Officers of the Singapore Armed Forces on 16 Jul 1967 at SAFTI’s parade square. On 16 Jun 1968, Mr Lee Kuan Yew, then Prime Minister, presented SAFTI its Colours in recognition of its progress and excellence in training within a short span of two years since inception. On 26 Aug 1972, IOCC also witnessed the first intake of Women Service Officer.

As the number of companies to train Officer Cadets expanded further, the School of Infantry Officers was renamed Officer Cadet School (OCS) and the OCS HQ was set up to command administer the School on 1 Jun 1969.

With the SAFTI Military Institute Group-Breaking Ceremony on 9 Jun 1990, OCS entered a new era of excellence in officer training. The new 42-week Officer Cadet Course was formally inaugurated on 17 Sep 1990 by Lieutenant- General Winston WL Choo, then the Chief of Defence Force. The Officer Cadet Course was established to enable Cadets from the Army, Navy and Air Force to understand more of one another’s operations and to provide them with more opportunities to interact. With the implementation of the two-year NSF duration in 2004, the Officer Cadet Course (OCC) was revised and reduced from 42 weeks to 38 weeks. The first 38-week OCC intake on 21 Mar 2005 began with the two-week Common Leadership Module and ended with a three-week Joint Term. The Common Leadership Module is designed to imbue a common set of values, leadership skills and SAF ethos into the cadets, while the Joint Term is designed for networking and joint awareness, positioned at the end to engender more fruitful cross-service discussions.

In Jul 2020, a new wing for the Military Domain Expert was included. This new inclusion serves to groom leaders in C4I (Command, Control, Communications, Computers and Intelligence) who will be responsible in safeguarding Singapore’s cyber security and information battlespace. With the inauguration of The Digital and Intelligence Service (DIS) in Oct 2022, the course was renamed to Military Domain Expert Course (DIS).

As the saying goes, “Tough times don’t last, tough men do”. OCS cadets mark their milestones as they brave through daily in-camp and outfield training, ranging from Fitness, Warfighting competency training, Leadership and Safety. These training develop our future leaders specifically in the areas of Strong Heart, Strong Mind, Strong Body and Safety Leadership, where cadets will experience a holistic learning in preparation for their future role as an Officer.

The Commissioning Parade marks the end of every Officer Cadet’s rite of passage, and heralds the beginning of their journey as newly Commissioned Officers of the Singapore Armed Forces. In the presence of their loved ones, the graduating Officer Cadets receive their appointment, and commit themselves to discharging their duties with excellence.

The Commissioning Parade is a long-standing tradition of OCS which dates back to 16 Jul 1967, when the first batch of Officer Cadets was commissioned. The first commissioning Parade was held at the old SAFTI Parade Square at Pasir Laba. In Jan 1972, the Commissioning Parade for the 10th batch of Infantry Officer Cadets was held at the Padang where, for the first time, the public was invited to witness the significant event. Subsequent parades were held at the Padang or at sports complexes to bring the SAF closer to the public.

After SAFTI MI’s opening in 1995, the Commissioning Parade was held at its Parade Square in the following year (Jul 1996) and this has been continued ever since.