SINGAPORE – About 850 operationally ready national servicemen (NSmen) have been tapped under the Enhanced Expertise Deployment Scheme, launched in 2022 to place those with specialised civilian expertise into relevant military roles.
This includes over 220 NSmen in 2025 who were reassigned to areas such as legal, cyber, and strategic communications, the Ministry of Defence (Mindef) said on Jan 21 in response to queries from The Straits Times.
“Mindef has enhanced its outreach efforts to raise awareness of the scheme among NSmen,” the ministry said, adding that 10 briefings were delivered during in-camp trainings (ICTs) in 2025, reaching more than 3,500 NSmen.
“Mindef will continue to build on these efforts and explore additional touchpoints during ICTs to further strengthen awareness of the scheme among NSmen.”
Redeployed NSmen were among 234 personnel appointed as senior military experts at a ceremony held at Safti Military Institute on Jan 21. They comprised 25 from the army, 28 from the navy, 31 from the air force, 144 from the Digital and Intelligence Service, and six from the joint service.
Speaking at the ceremony, Minister of State for Defence Desmond Choo noted that the cohort – who have expertise in areas such as engineering, intelligence, military medicine and cybersecurity – comprises the largest group of NSmen from the Enhanced Expertise Deployment Scheme.
One of them is Military Expert 4 (ME4) (NS) Muhammad Arief Aditya, who was a supply assistant as an NSman. In 2022, he made the switch to join the 505 Personal Support Unit, where he supports the well-being of soldiers as a counsellor.
This lets him put his experience in the social service sector to good use. His career of more than 10 years has included stints at the Singapore Prison Service as a correctional rehabilitation specialist and the Social Service Office.
He is currently working at Malay/Muslim self-help group Mendaki, where part of his role is to engage with community stakeholders to bring help closer to the community.
ME4 (NS) Arief said applying skills from his work to the army, such as assessing when a soldier requires support, was a good way to contribute.
He said: “I thought it would be a very meaningful opportunity, and also a win-win situation for everyone.
“When I do my reservist duty, I find it very rewarding. I also get to network with like-minded professionals in my unit, all of whom are also in the social service sector.”
During reservist stints, ME4 (NS) Mohamed Najid Mohamed Sultan, 37, now advises the Navy on its media strategies and public communications campaigns. He also shares his knowledge and expertise, where relevant, with younger officers.
His previous reservist role was as an admin support assistant in the Army, but he has served his duty with the Navy Information Centre since 2023.
As a Government scholar, ME4 (NS) Najid worked in communications at various ministries before becoming a marketing director at an events company. He now runs a company involved in sports presentation.
Learning about the Enhanced Expertise Deployment Scheme through an officer while he was an NSman, he felt that it made more sense for him to contribute in a more meaningful way.
His current leadership position in the SAF is a full-circle moment, after his dreams of becoming an officer as a full-time national serviceman were dashed by a knee injury while playing football.
He applauded how the SAF was looking to tap the deep expertise of its servicemen.
“There’re so many NSmen outside doing incredible work. It’s really a pool, a resource for them to tap into,” he said.
(From left) Military Expert 4 (ME4) (NS) Muhammad Arief Aditya, ME4 (NS) Mohamed Najid Mohamed Sultan and ME4 Ivan Or Min Jun.
ST PHOTO: GAVIN FOO
One of the regular servicemen in the cohort is ME4 Ivan Or Min Jun, 36, who joined the Navy in 2025. Before this, he was a quality assurance engineer at ST Engineering and Japan firm Makino.
Seeking a role that would challenge him, he made the switch, having learnt about careers in the Navy from a friend.
As a naval warfare system engineer, he is involved in the maintenance of a platform, overseeing about six to eight people.
Comparing his roles in the Navy and his previous jobs, he said: “In terms of systems, it’s different. But what I was taught in the commercial world, like in terms of leadership, I think it’s very relatable.”