The SAF Day Parade is an annual

military parade A military parade is a formation of soldiers whose movement is restricted by close-order manoeuvering known as drilling or marching. The military parade is now almost entirely ceremonial, though soldiers from time immemorial up until the lat ...

and ceremony of the

Singapore Armed Forces The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) are the military services of the Republic of Singapore, responsible for protecting and defending the security interests and the sovereignty of the country. A military component of the Ministry of Defence (MINDE ...

(SAF) held on 1 July in commemoration of the founding of the SAF. It is the second military parade in seniority to be held in

Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...

next to the

Singapore National Day Parade The National Day Parade (NDP) is an annual parade held in Singapore to commemorate its independence. Held annually on 9 August, it is the main public celebration of National Day, consists of a parade incorporating contingents of the Singapore ...

on 9 August. It is usually held at the

SAFTI Military Institute The SAFTI Military Institute (SAFTI MI) is a military institute of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) comprising five schools: the Goh Keng Swee Command and Staff College, three SAF Advanced Schools, and the Officer Cadet School. Located on an ...

Jurong West Jurong West is a planning area and residential town located in the West Region of Singapore. Jurong West shares boundaries with Tengah in the north, Jurong East in the east, Boon Lay and Pioneer in the south, and Western Water Catchment in t ...

, with the presence of the

president of Singapore The president of Singapore is the head of state of the Singapore, Republic of Singapore. The role of the president is to safeguard the Reserves of the Government of Singapore, reserves and the integrity of the Singapore Civil Service, public serv ...

. Salutes are also taken by the

prime minister of Singapore The prime minister of Singapore is the head of government of the Republic of Singapore. The president appoints the prime minister, a Member of Parliament (MP) who in their opinion, is most likely to command the confidence of the majority of ...

, and the chief of Defence Force. Close to 3,000 Operationally Ready National Serviceman (NSmen) take part in the ceremony, including personnel of any one of the

Singapore Armed Forces Band The Singapore Armed Forces Band (commonly known as the SAF Band) form the musical arm of the Singapore Armed Forces. Consisting of the SAF Central Band and the SAF Ceremonial Band, the SAF Band provides musical support for key events such as ...

s (either the SAF Central Band or SAF Ceremonial Band A) or the

Singapore Armed Forces Military Police Command The Singapore Armed Forces Military Police Command (SAF Military Police Command), previously known as the Singapore Armed Forces Provost Unit (SAFPU), is the military police formation of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF). They perform policing ...

. The SAF performs a traditional

Trooping the Colour Trooping the Colour is a ceremony performed every year in London, United Kingdom, by regiments of the British Army. Similar events are held in other countries of the Commonwealth. Trooping the Colour has been a tradition of British infantry regi ...

ceremony during the parade, following the

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...

regimental tradition. The awards for the

Singapore Armed Forces Best Unit Competition The Singapore Armed Forces Best Unit Competition is an annual competition which confers awards of recognition to the most outstanding units of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) in combat readiness, operational proficiency and administrative excell ...

are conferred upon the winning units during the parade. The current year's winner make up the parade's 2 Guards, which is typically the 1st Commando Battalion of the

Commandos Royal Marines from 40 Commando on patrol in the Sangin">40_Commando.html" ;"title="Royal Marines from 40 Commando">Royal Marines from 40 Commando on patrol in the Sangin area of Afghanistan are pictured A commando is a combatant, or operativ ...

formation. The outgoing colour bearer for the

Singapore Army The Singapore Army is the land service branch of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF). The largest of the four branches of the SAF, the Singapore Army traces its origins to the 1st Battalion, Singapore Infantry Regiment (1 SIR), which was formed i ...

hands the Army's State colour to the colour bearer for the Best Combat Unit of the year. As for 3 Guards and 4 Guards, these are, organised and arranged based on the NDP guard of honour, with Naval Diving Unit representing the

Republic of Singapore Navy The Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) is the naval service branch of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) responsible for defending the country against any sea-borne threats, and the protection of its sea lines of communications, that would comprom ...

(RSN) and the Air Power Generation Command representing the

Republic of Singapore Air Force The Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) is the aerial service branch of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) responsible for controlling and defending the airspace of the country, and providing air support to the Army and Navy. It was establish ...

(RSAF). 10 supporting units are also located to the rear of the guard of honour formation. A re-affirmation of the

Singapore National Pledge The National Pledge is an oath of allegiance to the Republic of Singapore. It is commonly recited by Singaporeans in unison at public events, especially in schools, in the Singapore Armed Forces and during the National Day Parade. Text We, ...

of loyalty by all members of the SAF on parade takes place.

History

The first SAF Day in 1969 was celebrated with a military parade at

Jalan Besar Stadium Jalan Besar Stadium, officially the Jalan Besar ActiveSG Stadium, is a association football, football stadium located in Kallang, Singapore. The stadium is part of the Jalan Besar Sports and Recreation Centre, a community sports facility that i ...

with Minister for the Interior and Defence

Lim Kim San Lim Kim San ( zh, c=林金山, p=Lín Jīnshān; 30 November 1916 – 20 July 2006) was a Singaporean politician who served as a Cabinet minister between 1965 and 1981. He was credited for leading a successful public housing programme in the ...

being the presiding officer.Ministry of Culture. (1969, July 1). Speech by Mr Lim Kin San, Minister for Defence, at the Armed Forces Day parade at Jalan Besar Stadium A muster parade at the MID HQ on

Pearl's Hill Pearl's Hill, briefly Mount Stamford, is a small hill in Singapore. Located in the vicinity of Chinatown, it is one of the few surviving hills in the city area. History The hill was the location of gambier plantations owned by the Chinese who h ...

also took place as well as several smaller parades at various SAF camps. During the first parade, a 1,500-strong contingent of SAF personnel took part in the marchpast, as well as stood at attention during the presentation of the SAF Flag for the first time to the 3rd Battalion,

Singapore Infantry Regiment Infantry is the main and largest formation of the Singapore Army, comprising seven active battalions—the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 6th, 8th and 9th Battalions, Singapore Infantry Regiment (SIR)—based in Clementi Camp, Kranji Camp III, Maju Camp, M ...

by Minister Lim. NSmen were allowed to participate in the parade as commanders for the first time in 1994. The first national service officer to be Parade Commander of the SAF Day Parade was Lieutenant Colonel Johnny Lim. The 2015 parade was known as the ''SAF50 Parade'' in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the parade, which included a special aerial

flypast A flypast is a ceremonial or honorific flight by an aircraft or group of aircraft. The term flypast is used in the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth. In the United States, the terms flyover and flyby are used. Flypasts are often tied in w ...

fighter planes and helicopters as well as the attendance of SAF pioneers who were present at the first SAF Day Parade in 1969.

References

External links

* *{{cite web, title=SAF Day Parade 2019 Highlights, publisher=Youtube, url=https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=U2iQ-cwyYVs Annual events in Singapore Military parades in Singapore Military history of Singapore July events Recurring events established in 1969 1969 establishments in Singapore

History

See also

References

External links