Singapore Armed Forces Provost Unit
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The Singapore Armed Forces Provost Unit (abbreviation: SAFPU; Chinese: 新加坡武装部队宪兵营) is the military police unit of the Singapore Armed Forces, performing policing duties to uphold standards of discipline amongst members of the SAF. Its responsibilities include security of key military establishments, the guarding of the Ministry of Defence, ceremonial sentries at the Istana, forming the ceremonial guards for visits by VVIPs to the country and other national events, the maintenance of discipline through enforcement and the operation of the SAF Detention Barracks, and search and rescue operations, amongst others.
The unit's motto is Pride, Discipline and Honour, which is also the name of the unit's regimental Slow March (listen: [link]), written by CPT Lee Kah Hee Johnson, currently the Director of Music and Officer-in-Charge of the SAF Band's Parade Band A. The regimental Fast March of the unit is entitled Spot On.
History
Formed in 1966 at the old Beach Road Camp, it initially consisted of one company of military policemen. With the implementation of National service a year later in 1967, the exponential growth in membership led to the formation of the School of Provost in 1970, before the entire unit moved to the Hill Street Camp. The Singapore Armed Forces Dog Company and Provost Company were formed here, and in February 1971, the three companies were merged officially to form the Singapore Armed Forces Provost Unit (SAFPU) and moved to the Mowbray Camp at Ulu Pandan Road in July 1971.The Security Command (SC) was added to the SAFPU, while the Special Investigations Branch (SIB) was formed in July 1973. In 1974, the sixth sub-unit, the 1st Reservist Provost Company, was formed, completing the organisational structure of the SAFPU which has remained so to this day.
In 1984, a 93-man unit drawn from the ranks of the SAFPU formed the Precision Drill Unit (PDU), trained with the help of foreign instructors for a performance at a Reach Out Singapore event that same year. The overwhelmingly positive public response led to the sub-unit becoming a permanent fixture, and since then, has become one of the most well-known and visible aspects of the SAFPU which the general public would relate to. In 1988, the first mass precision drill performance was put up for the National Day Parade held at the National Stadium, and in 1989, it performed twice for the Malaysian King and the general public at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
From the mid 1980s, the SAFPU began performing ceremonial sentry duties at the Istana, the official residence of the President of Singapore, and the monthly Change of Guard parade has since become a public spectator event also attracting the attention of tourists.
New colours was awarded to the unit by ex-president Ong Teng Cheong during the SAF Day Parade in 1995.
Today, the unit is based at a new camp near Choa Chu Kang. In keeping with tradition, the new road leading to the camp was called Mowbray Road, and the camp itself retaining the Mowbray Camp name. The old Mowbray Camp has since been handed over to the Singapore Police Force, which currently uses the camp for the training of reservists for the KINS unit.
Organisation
The unit is headed by the Company Headquarters which oversees its daily operations, and supported by six sub-units specialising in the various specific operational responsibilities of the SAFPU.
The six sub-units are as follow:
Active Provost Company (APC): This is the company that performs most of the important ceremonial duties required within the SAF. It also consists of a traffic platoon which ensures the compliance of traffic regulations by military personnel on the road as well as performing escort duties.
Zone Provost Company (ZPC): ZPC consists of MPs that perform regular raids for contrabands and/or miscreants on various camps of the SAF. A Deserter Platoon also perform regular raids in residential areas to apprehend deserters and AWOL offenders. The security of Mowbray Station is overseen by a platoon who is also in charge of registering and detaining suspects and offenders of military crimes in holding cells. The station is similar to a civilian police station and it is usually the first stop for detainees before their transfer to detention barracks after conviction in military courts.
Special Investigations Branch (SIB): The sub-unit that performs the important task of investigating military crimes committed within the SAF.
Security Branch (SB): No public information is available on this sub-unit.
Detention Barracks (DB): Headed by a commandant, DB consists of MPs in charge of supervision of detainees of the SAF who have been convicted in military courts.
School Of Provost (SOP): The school is in charge of equipping would be MP trainees with necessary and fundamental policing skills as well as instilling in them a high standard of discipline.
Uniforms
As is the case for other members of the Singapore Armed Forces, SAFPU members wear a variation of uniforms for each specific usage or occasion. They are, however, probably most distinctively identified by the Olive Drab-coloured no.3 uniform worn by members of the military police, complimented by a white cotton belt, white lanyard with whistle, a white helmet with the letters "MP" in red type or a blue beret, and black combat boots with garters. When dressed in the camouflage-coloured no.4 uniform, however, they are distinguished by wearing a black leather brassard on the right arm, with the letters "MP" in orange.
Members of the Regimental police, who are not considered part of the unit although having received training there, are always dressed in no.4 uniforms when on normal official duty. They also wear an armband, except it is made of cloth with the camouflage pattern similar to that of their uniform and have the letters "RP" on them.
In ceremonial occasions and other important official functions, such as in the forming of the GOH for visiting VIPs and the Singapore Armed Forces Day, when performing ceremonial guard duties at important state institutions such as the Istana, and in military funerals, members of the SAFPU wear the army no.1 uniform.
The SAFPU is the only unit in the SAF to don a unique cap badge design incorporating elements from the crest of the Singapore Police Force and the Armed forces, featuring the Coat of Arms and laurels from the SAF crest, but with the words "SAF Military Police" on a ribbon design similar to the SPF's crest.
References
- Chiang, Mickey (1990) Fighting fit: The Singapore Armed Forces Times Editions, Singapore ISBN 9812041761
- Choo, Martin (1981) The Singapore Armed Forces Public Affairs Department, Ministry of Defence, Singapore
External links
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