NDP 2025 to feature first SCDF guard-of-honour contingent

It will be a fixture in future parades; SAF Volunteer Corps to field first full contingent to mark 10th anniversary

- Ng Keng Gene

For the first time in National Day Parade (NDP) history, the 2025 parade and ceremony will feature a Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) guard-of-honour contingent on Aug 9.

NDP 2025, which marks Singapore's 60th year of independence, will also see the Singapore Armed Forces Volunteer Corps (SAFVC) field its first full contingent to mark its 10th anniversary.

Colonel Lim Yu Sing, the NDP 2025 parade and ceremony chairman, said on June 12 that the parade will feature 40 marching contingents - the largest number at the Padang since 1990, when 70 took part.

While participants will train for about 14 weekends - similar to previous years - the higher number of guard-of-honour contingents has added complexity to their movements, said 44-year-old Col Lim.

SCDF Deputy Commissioner for Operations and Resilience Ling Young Ern said the decision to include the SCDF in the guard-of-honour contingent was made following public feedback. The force will remain a part of the guard of honour in future NDPs.

The inclusion of the SCDF means that its service personnel have to be trained to handle the SAR21 rifle - which is not part of the SCDF's personal equipment but a standard weapon borne by guard-of-honour troops.