Everyone knows 14 February as Valentine’s Day. But how many of you remember what day 15 February is? Think: a loud siren blaring islandwide.
If you paid attention to your social studies lessons in school, you’d remember that 15 February is Total Defence Day. On Total Defence Day, we learn about the six pillars of defence — Military, Civil, Economic, Social, Digital and Psychological defence — and how everyone has a part to play.
This year, Defence Collective Singapore is celebrating 40 years of Total Defence with a Total Defence special exhibition, interactive trails, role-playing games, laser tag missions and more to learn more about defence in Singapore and appreciate how safe the country really is.
The theme for this year’s Total Defence special exhibition is “Total Defence for Thee!”. Located at the Singapore Discovery Centre, this free exhibition comprises three different zones and will take on the form of a role-playing concept where you’ll be given the call to adventure and embrace the quest for Total Defence.
Now’s your chance to don your superhero costume and save the day!
The first zone of the exhibition is titled Character Building and it embraces the past, present and future, as well as illuminates the six pillars of Total Defence — something that we’re all pretty familiar with.
Here, you’ll get to choose a character and take part in an engaging quiz as you delve into some of Singapore’s historical adversities. Each character reflects a pillar of Total Defence and you will be presented with different scenarios, all of which will test your mettle and superhero prowess.
Zone two of the exhibit is titled Roll for Initiative and here, you’ll get to explore challenges and scenarios through the lens of Total Defence that you will have to overcome in the interactive maze. The maze mimics reality through the lens of Total Defence.
If there’s one thing you must know, it’s that every step you take matters, so choose your steps wisely.
Without giving too much away, the maze will require you to put your thinking caps on and strategize as the events unfold — so I hope you work well under pressure.
All we can say is there’s no single path to victory, as some lead to heroic charges while others call for strategic support, so good luck!
The final zone is The Critical Zone — sounds serious right? Well, it kinda is. Here, you’ll be presented with thought-provoking questions that will ignite your inner heroine. You’ll also be able to create your own superhero look and name just like Batman, Superman, Ironman and more.
Once you pledge to the cause, you’ll see your light shine on the map of Singapore alongside other heroes — kinda like the victory scene to Marvel’s The Endgame of sorts if you will. The Total Defence 40 special exhibition will be held at the Singapore Discovery Centre from now until 17 March 2024.
Other activities include The Call to Adventure, which is an interactive trail where you’ll wander through a series of twists and turns to uncover new aspects of Total Defence, with a surprise reward that awaits you at the end.
I don’t know about you but this one got me really excited — Trials and Tests: Laser Tag Mission. Gear up for a thrilling and exciting shootout that will put your skills and teamwork (and maybe friendship) to the test as you navigate through an obstacle course.
As if that wasn’t tiring enough, you’ll also have to avoid getting shot — it is a laser tag match afterall.
For something a little less intense, you can choose to immerse yourself in some inspiring tales of courage and sacrifice through exclusive screenings of local short-films like Azza, Gallant and SQ117 — the iconic flight that was hijacked while en route to Singapore.
That last one really had me teary-eyed, so make sure you bring along lots of tissues.
Taking place on two weekends only is the Total Defence 40 Carnival complete with fun-filled activities and entertainment that’s great fun for the whole family.
Attention gentlemen! I’m pretty sure the name SAFTI would sound familiar to you — whether you’ve been there yourself or not. This Total Defence, you’ll get to hop on an exclusive tour around the training institute and get a little glimpse of what our young officers go through while in-training.
The tour takes place at 3pm on weekdays and on 11am, 1pm, 3pm, and 5pm on weekends. More details on the activities can be found here.
If there’s one thing Total Defence has taught me, it’s that it’s a nationwide effort to ensure that our loved ones feel safe in this country. Experience what it’s like to be a superhero for a day at these Total Defence 40 exhibitions and activities!
Do you have what it takes to defend the country?
Total Defence 40
Facebook | Website
📍 510 Upper Jurong Road, Singapore Discovery Centre, Singapore 638365
🗓 From now till 17 March 2024
For more lifestyle updates like this, subscribe to our Telegram channel at @confirmgood.
This post is brought to you by Defence Collective Singapore.
I'm either mean or a meme, there's no in between.