Mothers in Singapore have been giving their sons tearful send-offs into the military since 1967, when the first batch of 900 Singaporean young men entered the National Service programme.

While the shaved heads and tough training still exist today, National Service in Singapore has evolved tremendously since it began in the 60s.

Here is a look at the early stages of NS and how it has come to change in recent years.

Click on thumbnail to view (Photos: ST, BH)