Ranks can be confusing in the Singapore Armed Forces.
For those new to the army or who have not gone to the army for years, it might be tough to decipher what these shapes mean.
It might be difficult to know which rank is higher than the other.
There might also be a misunderstanding about what salutation to use based on someone’s rank.
This is a guide on the ranks in the Singapore Armed Forces.
Here is a quick rundown of all the ranks in the Singapore Armed Forces and what they mean.
Where Everyone Starts As Enlistees
When someone enlists, he is a recruit.
He would likely get disrespected by every rank.
His whole head would be shaven.
For the first nine weeks, he would have to get used to being the 2nd lowest lifeform in the army.
After Basic Military Training, he can choose 3 paths as if it’s a skill tree in Path of Exile.
Become a man, a specialist, or an officer.
If he chooses the first path (#manlifebestlife), he will get these ranks.
Is It Truly Man Life Best Life? If One Doesn’t Go To Command School
A private gets arrowed all the time to do tasks.
“Arrowed” is a term used to describe being forced or commanded to do a task by a superior.
Since a private still has no rank, he would get the most random tasks to do, such as cleaning duty.
Meanwhile, a Lance Corporal has the protection of the dome, with a downward-pointing chevron to get arrowed.
On the other hand, a Corporal has 2 downward chevrons to get arrowed twice as much as a lance corporal.
Finally, a Corporal First Class (aka 4SG) has additional dome protection.
This is where it ends for one if he does not go to command school.
POV: Suffering For 6 Months To Become A Sergeant
Let’s say one wants to become a sergeant.
The first 6 months would be spent being the lowest lifeform, a specialist cadet.
After those 6 months, he would become a 3rd Sergeant (3SG).
‘Sergeant’ is the name people would have to call you by, instead of your name only.
He now has 3 arrows, meaning he would get arrowed 3 times as much as a Lance Corporal.
But, guess what? He doesn’t even have protection from the top.
For a few lucky NSFs, they can become a 2nd Sergeant (2SG).
Fortunately, there is now 1 rooftop as protection.
If one signs up for the army, they can reach 1st Sergeant (1SG).
Becoming a regular, he now has 2 rooftops as protection.
Now, this is where it gets interesting.
This next step is called a Staff Sergeant (SSG), where one will get a shield as a new form of protection.
‘Staff’ is what people would call you by.
Lastly, one can become a Master Sergeant (MSG) with another rooftop protection.
‘Master’ would be what people would call you by, which is pretty interesting.
People walking past you better properly count that third rooftop, because if they call you staff, you can ask them to knock it down.
Warrant Officers: The Upgrade From Sergeant To Encik
Here comes the Warrant Officers.
Their ranks look very different.
As a 3rd Warrant Officer (3WO), one would have rice bowl protection due to long service.
“Rice bowl protection” is a term where a job that is stable enough to provide food for someone’s family.
There is a shield at the bottom to protect one from arrows.
“Encik” is what one would be called from now on, unless otherwise stated.
However, that roof over the head is looking pretty thin.
That’s why one needs to become a 2nd Warrant Officer (2WO) to get a thicker roof.
Not enough?
Become a 1st Warrant Officer (1WO) for another roof!
Another roof would be added if one becomes a Master Warrant Officer (MWO)!
“Sir” is what others would call one from here on out.
Perhaps one could become a Senior Warrant Officer (SWO) for yet another roof!
Lastly, become a Chief Warrant Officer (CWO) for 4 super thick roofs!
Wow, thank them for serving in the army all the way till their 50s!
Surely no one can knock them down, right?
For Those Courageous Enough To Enter Officer Cadet School
Remember that 3rd path at the start?
That’s right.
Officers are higher than any of these regulars.
There would be these enciks in their 40s calling men half their age “sir”.
These officers technically can punish them despite not signing on for the army.
Firstly, they would become the lowest lifeform as an officer cadet for 9 months.
After that, they become a 2nd Lieutenant (2LT).
“Sir” is how they would be called.
This chocolate bar is solid protection.
For some NSFs, they could become a Lieutenant (LTA), where they would get another chocolate bar for more protection.
After one signs on, he would become a Captain (CPT).
3 chocolate bars can be used as protection from getting arrowed.
The Very Pinnacle Of The Singapore Armed Forces
After that, one can become a Major.
This crab shield helps one not to get arrowed.
If that is not enough, one can become a Lieutenant Colonel (LTC) for another crab shield!
There is a slight deviation in the skill tree here.
One could become a Senior Lieutenant Colonel (SLTC), where he would have a rice bowl protection with his 2 crab shields.
The other path is to become a Colonel (COL).
With 3 crab shields, he would rarely get arrowed.
That’s about it for most people.
But, what if someone wants to become a superstar?
Well, he has these ranks!
Brigadier-General (BG), Lieutenant-General (LG), and Major-General (MG).
They cannot get arrowed as they are at the very top!
However, those in the SAF have a common joke that once someone finishes their two years in the army, they will have the highest rank, which is civilian.
Hopefully, this article has served to clear any doubts one might have about the different ranks!
Related To SAF:
8 Types of NSF in Singapore (National Service)
101 Bad Habits during National Service (NS) in Singapore Part 2
