Guards (Singapore Army)

Guards, also referred to as Guardsmen, is a rapid deployment infantry formation of the Singapore Army responsible for conducting air assault, expeditionary, and amphibious operations.^[6]

Guards
Logo of the Guards Formation
Active	1 January 1975 – present
Country	Singapore
Branch	Singapore Army
Type	Infantry
Role	Rapid deployment Air assault Expeditionary warfare Amphibious warfare[1][2][3]
Size	3 battalions[citation needed]
Part of	Singapore Armed Forces
Garrison/HQ	Bedok Camp II Dieppe Barracks Nee Soon Camp
Motto(s)	"Ready to Strike"[4]
Colors	Khaki
Website	Official website
Commanders
Chief Guards Officer	COL Wong Pui Chuan[5]

Like their counterpart in the United States, the United States Marine Corps, the Guards formation will be the first on the ground in combat situations, leading the charge when conflict arises.

History

The Guards formation was created on 1 January 1975 as the 7th Singapore Infantry Brigade (7 SIB) with four officers, five specialists and a few clerks.^[7][8] 7 SIB subsequently took command of the Infantry Training Depot (ITD) on 1 January 1976 and the 7th Battalion, Singapore Infantry Regiment (7 SIR) and 8th Battalion, Singapore Infantry Regiment (8 SIR) on 9 February 1976. On 1 July 1976, 7 SIB was declared operational.^[7] In view of its operational role, the ITD was removed from 7 SIB, and the SAF Guards Unit (SAFGU), formed in the 1960s for guard mounting at the Istana and other public duties activities, came under the command of 7 SIB.^[7][8][3]

SAFGU was renamed 1st Battalion, Singapore Guards (1 Guards) on 1 July 1977. On 1 April 1978, 8 SIR became the 2nd Battalion, Singapore Guards (2 Guards).^[7] 7 SIB was designated as an elite brigade on 1 April 1978. On 6 April 1979, 1 Guards held a parade during which Major-General Winston Choo, Chief of General Staff, presented the soldiers with berets with new cap badge backings to denote their elite status.^[8][3]

On 31 July 1980, the soldiers of 7 SIB received stable belts as another symbol of their elite status.^[8][3] In that same year, 7 SIB was reorganised into a brigade consisting of only Guardsmen. 7 SIR was renamed 3rd Battalion, Singapore Guards (3 Guards).^[7] The three Guards battalions received their colours on 11 June 1983. On 23 June 1989, the Guardsmen received the Guards tab, which they wear on the left sleeves of their uniforms.^[8][3]

On 9 June 1994, the Guards adopted the khaki beret to replace the olive green beret, which is still used by the Infantry formation. On 11 October 1994, the Guards formally became a formation of the Singapore Army.^[8] All Guards units, including 7 SIB, are now under the administration and command of HQ Guards.^[3]

Operations

A Guardsman and a member of the New Zealand Defence Force man a cordon around the Central City in the aftermath of the 2011 Christchurch earthquake.

Guards has been deployed to provide support in disaster relief and humanitarian aid operations, such as during the 1986 Hotel New World collapse in Singapore, the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, the 2011 Christchurch earthquake, the Aceh Monitoring Mission in Timor Leste and the humanitarian aid mission in Afghanistan from 2007 to 2013.^[3]

Training

To qualify as Guardsmen, enlistees need to complete the Guards Vocational Training, while officers and specialists will need to complete the Guards Conversion Course (GCC).^[9][3]

Guardsmen are trained for heliborne insertions into combat zones. They can do this either by rapid disembarkation while the helicopter is landing, or by rappelling from a hovering helicopter, or fast-roping straight onto rooftops.^[6] As landing zones may be hostile, Guardsmen train in various forms of combat rappelling.^[10] This may involve rappelling head-first.

They also train for exigencies. If, due to an injury they are unable to brace themselves against a cliff face, they may be required to rappel unconventionally, with their backs facing the cliff, or with a stretcher.^[10] Other methods include Australian rappelling.^[11]

Equipment

A Guardsman and a United States Marine examine a SAR 21 during the 2009 Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) exercise.

Spider LSV with SPIKE ATGM launcher extended at the 2008 Singapore Airshow.

LSV at the 2022 Army Open House.

Equipment	Image	Origin	Notes	References
SAR 21		Singapore		[12]
SIG Sauer P226		Switzerland	Being replaced by HK P30	[12]
Ultimax 100 Mark 3 SAW		Singapore		[12]
FN MAG		Belgium		[12]
M203 grenade launcher		United States		[12]
Spider Light Strike Vehicle (LSV) Mark II		Singapore		[13][14][3]

See also

• Army Deployment Force
• Commandos
• Infantry
• United States Marine Corps

References

1. Archived 23 December 2007 at the Wayback Machine
2. Archived 7 February 2016 at the Wayback Machine
3. "Guards". Ministry of Defence (Singapore). 6 July 2018. Retrieved 5 October 2022.
4. "The Singapore Army – Guards – Motto/Insignia". Mindef.gov.sg. Archived from the original on 21 August 2014. Retrieved 20 August 2014.
5. "Army Organisation Structure". Ministry of Defence (Singapore). 5 October 2018. Retrieved 5 October 2022.
6. "The Singapore Army – Guards". Mindef.gov.sg. Archived from the original on 3 October 2014. Retrieved 20 August 2014.
7. Archived 13 December 2007 at the Wayback Machine
8. "The Singapore Army – Guards – History". Totaldefence.sg. Retrieved 20 August 2014.
9. "File Not Found" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2 June 2014. Retrieved 1 June 2014.
10. Archived 29 December 2007 at the Wayback Machine
11. Foo-Tan, Germaine (19 April 2006). "1980 – Singapore Guards – Elite Warriors of the SAF". mindef.gov.sg. Archived from the original on 26 June 2007.
12. Archived 29 January 2008 at the Wayback Machine
13. Archived 5 January 2009 at the Wayback Machine
14. "The Singapore Army – Guards – Equipment". Mindef.gov.sg. Archived from the original on 17 December 2006. Retrieved 20 August 2014.