Gurkha Contingent - Manpower and Training

Manpower and Training

Since its formation in 1949 with 142 men, the contingent has grown to over 2,000 in size in 2003. Young men are recruited in Nepal at the British Gurkha camp in Pokhara. About 370 are selected annually in December out of a pool of over 20,000 applications with about 140 eventually joining the GC while the rest will go to the British Army.

Some of the basic physical admission criteria in the recruitment camp include:

• Aged 17½ to 21
• Minimum height of 160 centimetres (5 feet 3 in)
• Minimum weight of 50 kilograms (110 lbs)
• Chest circumference of 79 centimetres (31 in) with minimum 5 centimetres (2 in) expansion
• No applicants needing eyesight aids will be accepted.
• Generally good oral hygiene, with up to two fillings, false teeth or a single gap.

Applicants are expected to possess a minimum education level of SLC 3rd Division equivalent to the GCE Ordinary Level. Upon registration, they have to go through a battery of physical and mental assessments prior to selection, including oral and written tests in the English language, a mathematics test, a board interview and medical examination. The annual selection process, which normally takes 17 days but is spread over four months due to conditions in Nepal, will then assign recruits to either the GC or the British Army.

Upon successful selection, GC trainees are flown to Singapore, and housed at the permanent base of the GC at Mount Vernon Camp where they will receive a ten-month long training before being subsequently deployed for duties. The training phase of GC officers is relatively unknown, although they have been noted to utilise the jungles in Pulau Tekong for training. Arrangements with the Royal Brunei Police Force have allowed Gurkha officers to conduct jungle training in Brunei for several years. Training from external agencies were also received from the SAF Medical Training Institute for medical courses, and the Aikido Shinju-kai Singapore for lessons in aikido, as well as specialised training in full contact kyokushin.