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# Building a defence force - By the end of the 1970s, the SAF had grown into a sizeable defence force with an army, an air force and a navy. It was supplemented by the People Defence Force (PDF), which was formed entirely by part-time volunteers.  - Together, these forces gave Singapore a larg...

# Building a defence force - By the end of the 1970s, the SAF had grown into a sizeable defence force with an army, an air force and a navy. It was supplemented by the People Defence Force (PDF), which was formed entirely by part-time volunteers.  - Together, these forces gave Singapore a large pool manpower to meet its defence needs first. - NS was received with some anxiety and uncertainty by many young men and their families. Men, especially those from less well-to-do families, were expected to find a job quickly upon leaving school and contribute the household income. But with NS, their entry into the workforce would be delayed and their families would lose the income they could have earned. - Furthermore, life in the military was unfamiliar to the majority of Singaporeans. Before NS was introduced, only a small number had experienced military life as regulars or as part-time volunteers with the colonial forces.