Commando Training Wing
The Commando Training Wing (abbreviation: CTW) is one of two training wings in the School of Commandos of the Singapore Armed Forces in Singapore. Established in 1974, it is primarily tasked with the training of military leaders in the Commando Formation. Courses conducted by the CTW include the Commando Section Leaders' Course (CSLC), the Commando Small Boat Operators' Course, the Commando Officer Conversion Course (COCC), and the highly esteemed Singapore Armed Forces Ranger Course.
Section leader training
The Commando Section Leaders' Course (CSLC), as its name implies, trains Commando trainees to be section leaders, taking in selected candidates from those who have completed the Basic Commando Training phase. These candidates are put through a range of tests, including the Physical Readiness Test, the Commando Common Tasks test, and an interview by the Commando Chain of Command, before acceptance.
The course is a physically demanding one, with trainees expected to complete the Standard Obstacle Course immediately after a 10 kilometre run, all in combat gear and within timing. They must also pass two fast marches in Full Battle Order over a distance of six and twelve kilometres. In the meantime, various fieldcraft skills are inculcated to enable them to lead a section effectively and to improve survivability.
Officer training
Commando Officers are selected from within its own ranks and over a year-long period of assessment, unlike the majority of those from the rest of the SAF who are selected during the 3-month centralized Basic Military Training phase. Potential candidates are assessed from the time they are enlisted into the Formation, and only the top graduands of the Commando Section Leaders' Course are selected for further screening. About 15 successfully go on attend the Infantry Officers' Cadet Course at Officer Cadet School in the SAFTI Military Institute.
Upon successful completion, they are commissioned as Commando Officers, and attend a Commando Officer Conversion Course (COCC) at the CTW for a seven-week period, where they are trained to take on the role of Platoon Commander with the 1st Commando Battalion. Other graduands from Officer Cadet School, as well as commissioned Officers in the SAF may also apply to join the COCC to become Commando Officers.
Ranger training
The Singapore Armed Forces Ranger Course is reputed to be the toughest course in the SAF, with 65 days of intense training conducted by the CTW. Initially developed based on the experiences of Singaporean Rangers trained at the US Army Rangers School in Fort Benning, United States, it was first conducted in Singapore in 1978, and is now an annual affair at the training wing's Pasir Ris Camp base. Any regular or national serviceman of the SAF may apply for the course, so long that they have a superior's recommendation from their specific unit and attained a minimum rank of Corporal, after which applicants are assessed physically to ensure suitability. Training slots are also limited per year. For Commando regulars, enrolment is compulsory, and exceptional individuals/graduates are further recommended to the actual US Ranger School for advanced training. Graduates of the advanced training can then wear the US version of the "Rangers" tab on their uniform.
References
- For Honour and Glory: A Celebration of Commando History (1969 - 1994)