Then, the school was named School of Section Leaders and was responsible to train Section Leaders for the first few battalions in the Army then. The increased demand for Section Leaders due to National Service led to the rapid expansion of the school. The school was renamed to School of Infantry Section Leaders (SISL) on 1 Oct 1970. 12 years later, on 1 May 1982, the School of Infantry Section Lea
ders (SISL) officially became the Singapore Armed Forces Infantry Non-Commissioned Officers School (SAFINCOS). This was done to coincide with the expansion of the schools' role of conducting both Basic Infantry Section Leader Courses, as well as advanced courses, such as the Platoon Sergeant course, Infantry Senior NCO course and the Reserve Infantry Senior NCO course. Soon after, in 1992, SAFINCOS was renamed SISPEC.
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The Specialist and Warrant Officer Institute (SWI) is the home of the WOSpecs Corps, encapsulating their core values, image, cultural heritage and pride. It consists of three Specialist Cadet Schools (SCSs), the Specialist and Warrant Officer Advanced School (SWAS) and the SAF Warrant Officer School (SAFWOS) Leadership School. SWI was established to serve two objectives:
1. To foster a greater sense of belonging and pride amongst members of the Warrant Officer and Specialist (WOSpec) Corps;
2. To increase the efficiency and effectiveness of training within the WOSpec Corps.
𝐌𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐕𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧
The mission of SWI is to develop effective, dynamic and committed Warrant Officers and Specialists with a proud identity anchored on shared values and purpose. SWI’s vision is to be “Home of the Warrant Officers and Specialists. A Premier Institute Recognised World-Wide”. This vision articulates the role of SWI as a spiritual guardian of the values and heritage of the WOSpec Corps. It also expresses the aspirations of SWI to be globally recognised for the quality of its trainers, its excellent curricula, and the conduciveness of its learning environment.
𝐇𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐎𝐟 𝐒𝐖𝐈
The institute was officially inaugurated on 17 Sep 2004, with the swearing-in of COL Kuek Joo Leng as its first Commander. The institute then consisted of three schools: The School of Infantry Specialists (SISPEC), the School of Infantry Weapons (SIW) and the SAF Warrant Officer School (SAFWOS). SISPEC then shifted from Pulau Tekong to Pasir Laba Camp where SIW and SAFWOS were residing, the physical proximity strengthening the spiritual link between the schools. On 13 Apr 2010, SWI was reorganised into the Specialist Cadet School (SCS), the Specialist and Warrant Officer Advanced School (SWAS) and SAF Warrant Officer School (SAFWOS). The reorganisation of SWI reflected a shift from a specialist school with a heavy emphasis on infantry training to a premier military leadership institute that develops leaders. This shift in emphasis towards leadership development was reinforced with the transfer of SWI from 9th Singapore Division to SAFTI Military Institute (SAFTI MI) on 25 Feb 2014. In 2018, SAFWOS was renamed to SAFWOS Leadership School as part of the effort to embrace the participation of Military Experts in SAFWOS’s joint courses. As the SAF undergoes a constant process of transformation, SWI will continue to oversee the development of the WOSpec Corps in line with their evolving roles and responsibilities.
