Although the SAFTI MI is an amalgamated institution, it draws much of its heritage from the original Singapore Armed Forces Training Institute, which was officially opened on 14 February 1966 at Pasir Laba Camp. The link to the past is preserved in both the name of the new institute, as well as the name of the bridge connecting Pasir Laba Camp with the new SAFTI MI. Officially named SAFTI Link, it is referred to by insiders as Link Bridge.
Architecture
There is much symbolism in the SAFTI MI campus. The Officer Cadet School HQ is described by the architect as being shaped like a cradle, from which officers are born. SAFTI MI sits on a hill. The locations of each school are metaphors for the career of an SAF officer. The lower reaches house the barracks for Officer Cadets. Advancing up the hill, SAF Advanced Schools are encountered. Finally, at the pinnacle, is the Goh Keng SweeCommand and Staff College. A prominent feature is the Tower, approximately 60 m tall and visible from many parts of western Singapore. It is a three-sided tower, for the tri-service nature of the SAF. It is served by a lift and a 265 step stairway which symbolises the days a cadet requires to take towards commissioning day. This number should not be taken literally as the various commissioning courses vary in length. The OCS parade square is 120 m by 170 m in area. It is designed to reduce the heat and glare of the sun. The viewing stands are able to accommodate up to 5000 people. SAFTI MI was originally intended to be an "open camp" like the United States Military Academy and the United States Naval Academy. Prior to the September 11 terrorist attacks, civilians did not need passes or security checks before entering the complex. The only restricted areas were the offices and living quarters. Since 9/11 attacks, however, the installation has been subject to access restrictions as with other military bases, and security checks are mandatory for all visitors. No unauthorised photography and filming is also allowed at this area, whereas offices and living quarters are gazetted as Red Zones, which means no camera phones are allowed at this point.
Organisation
The Commandant, a Brigadier General or Rear Admiral, heads SAFTI MI HQ. MI HQ oversees all training and training support within the complex.
Schools
There are a total of five schools in SAFTI MI: the Officer Cadet School for cadets, SAF Advanced Schools – one for each Service – for Captains, and the Goh Keng Swee Command and Staff College for Majors and Lieutenant-Colonels. To meet the demands of the global environment, curriculum and various exercises of the schools go through major revamps about once every five years. The first revamp was in 1999, led by then-Permanent Secretary Peter Ho, and the most recent was led by BG Tan and his team in 2004. In between the five years, there were smaller reviews to maintain currency. For example, after mission like Operation Flying Eagle, some of the course content in SCSC and other schools was tweaked. New doctrine is also infused into the curriculum by SAFTI MI after various exercises carried out by the SAF. Leadership development is the means by which SAFTI MI tries to inculcate values, and better align the value in officers.
People don't come in with zero values, all of us have values from our parents, our upbringing, from the schools that we have attended. With this set of values, it is now a question of reaffirming some of them and realigning some of them to the SAF's core values which have been in place since the late 1980s, said BG Tan.
SAFTI MI has a branch called the Centre of Leadership Development. This is a full-time SAF centre with psychologist and headed by a former brigade commander. These people focus their entire attention on how to develop officers in leadership. As for helping officers in handling uncertainty, a lot of different methodologies are incorporated in courses.
Officer Cadet School
Officer Cadet School is the only commissioning route in the Singapore Armed Forces. Outstanding conscripts from Basic Military Training and the Specialist Cadet School are sent to OCS to train to be officers. On completion of their National Service, these officers will continue to serve with their men in the Operationally-Ready NSmen battalions. After commissioning, some officers may choose to continue to serve as career soldiers. Regular Specialists may also attend OCS on application, recommendation, and selection. Prior to moving to the SAFTI MI complex, OCS was at the old SAFTI at Pasir Laba Camp.
Goh Keng Swee Command and Staff College
Goh Keng Swee Command and Staff College conducts the Command and Staff Course for career officers, and the National Service Command and Staff Course for selected reservist officers who have demonstrated potential for higher command and staff appointments in the SAF. Before moving to SAFTI MI in 1995, SCSC was located at Fort Canning, Marina Hill, and Seletar Camp.
SAFTI Services Centre
SAFTI Services Centre, previously known as Service Support Unit, provides support services like security, medical, dental, physiotherapy, transport, estate, signal and logistics for all units within the camp complex.
Facilities
Sport facilities
SAFTI MI has extensive sporting and recreation facilities including a stadium with a soccer field and running track, an Olympic-sized swimming pool with a diving tower, and an indoor rock-climbing wall.
Library
SAFTI MI Library houses one of the biggest collection on military history in Singapore. However, membership is only available to military personnel as of September 2019. The SAFTI MI Library has recently shifted its focus to being an autonomous library, with a heavy emphasis placed on electronic resources, and reliance on the patrons taking the initiative to maintain tidiness in the library.
Mess
As is the case for almost all camp complexes in the SAF, all the tenant units share a single Officers' Mess and a Warrant Officers' and Specialists' Mess. The Officers' Mess is located near the officers' living quarters, beside the artificial lake adjacent to the Singapore Discovery Centre. The Warrant Officers' and Specialists' Mess is similarly located near their accommodation blocks. The Officer Cadets have a mess too. However, they have much less liberty to use the facilities compared with the other personnel not under training.
SAFTI Link Bridge
The SAFTI Link Bridge is the first cable-stayed bridge in Singapore, spanning 100 metres across the Pan Island Expressway linking the SAFTI Military Institute to Pasir Laba Camp training ground. It is a complete shortcut from NTU all the way to Joo Koon; similar to the Lorong Danau road which connects the National Shooting Centre and NTU.
