FULL-TIME NATIONAL SERVICE (Stress fractures among recruits)

Dr Kanwaljit Soin asked the Minister for Defence, what is the yearly incidence of stress fractures among full-time National Servicemen from 1989 to 1993 and what steps have been taken to reduce the incidence.

Dr Yeo Ning Hong: To be effective, military training has to be tough and rigorous. Soldiers must acquire combat skills and physical fitness in peace time to prepare them for the demands of war. The SAF has to ensure its training is effective in order to build up a credible defence force.

The SAF recognises that many new NSF recruits are not in the best physical condition before enlistment. Training is therefore conducted progressively and with all possible safety measures. The progressive physical build up and safety measures help to minimise training accidents and injury. Nevertheless, occasional accidents including stress fractures do happen.

Over the last 5 years, 0.13% of our NSF recruits were treated for stress fractures. This is a significant improvement over the rate of 3.5% in the mid-80s and reflects the results of medical research in the SAF. The SAF is constantly looking for ways to help soldiers to perform better and to reduce training injury. Some of the measures that have been introduced include:

a. the 2-month pre-BMT Physical Training Phase to allow less fit recruits to gradually build up their level of physical fitness;

b. appropriate rest periods scheduled into training programmes to allow recovery of strength and stamina;

c. grouping recruits according to their levels of physical fitness to allow training to be conducted at a pace commensurate with their fitness levels;

d. significant improvements to the combat boots through medical and ergonomic research (eg. the shock absorbent quality of the boots to better protect the feet of the soldiers).

The SAF will continue to look for ways to reduce training injury even further.

New recruits will find military training less onerous if they take on the personal responsibility of preparing themselves well physically before enlistment.