AN ARMY EXPERIENCE FOR ALL

Impressive. Well-planned. Amazing.

These were some of the sentiments shared by visitors to the Army Open House 2017, held at the F1 Pit Building after a five-year hiatus.

"It's amazing - the Dynamic Defence Display (D3) show was really impressive and showed me how other parts of the Army worked," said Mr Joel Foong, who served as an Armour Scout during his National Service.

He was accompanied by his wife, Mdm Lavinia Ang, who echoed his statement: "I think it's a good experience as we hardly get to see these vehicles in our day-to-day lives.

"We also see different units come together to fight for a common goal."

The D3 show, a display of the Army's latest platforms and sharpest-edge capabilities, was launched by Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen when he visited the AOH on 27 May.

During the display, Dr Ng saw a series of simulated terrorist attacks, where soldiers from the Island Defence Task Force were on alert to protect civilians in danger.

At the same time, Peacekeepers from the Army Deployment Force and Commandos from the Special Operations Task Force worked closely to take down the terrorists and rescue the hostage.

The D3 show was capped off with a salute to all National Servicemen, including those from the pioneer generation who were present.

Another highlight of the AOH were 27 military vehicles on display along the F1 tracks.

Having such equipment on display allows the younger generation to understand the importance of the nation's defence, said some visitors.

"We want to expose our sons to what they have to do in the future (when they enlist in National Service) and what it's like to be a soldier," said Mdm Brenda Yap, who was at the event with her sons Joseph and Joel, aged four and one respectively.

"We want to show them how protecting Singapore is all part of our identity," said Mdm Yap, who was accompanied by her husband, Captain (CPT) Joshua Yap, a pilot from 120 Squadron, who flies the AH 64D Apache attack helicopter.

For other visitors, the AOH was also an opportunity for family bonding.

Despite fasting during Ramadan, Mr Zachariah Bin Hussein took his wife and three children to the event. He said: "We always visit Army Open House, so I decided to come down to spend time with my family, and enjoy ourselves."

He added: "It's great to see all the army equipment and to have a touch and feel of it, rather than to just watch them on TV."

Child-friendly activities at the AOH included a Battlefield Zone for visitors to have a hand at shooting targets, as well as the Soldier Strong Challenge, modified from the Standard Obstacle Course.

Visitors could also get rides on battle vehicles, with four land rides, including the Terrex Infantry Carrier Vehicle and Peackeeper Protected Response Vehicle; and water rides on the M3G Military Float Bridge and LARC V (Lighter Amphibious Resupply Cargo 5 ton).

Among the AOH visitors were members of the Advisory Council on Community Relations in Defence (ACCORD), who were hosted by Senior Minister of State for Defence Dr Mohamad Maliki Bin Osman on 26 May.

The AOH was an "impressive display of the most modern equipment we have for defence", said ACCORD member, Mr Ng Chin Hwee.

"What impressed me more than the hardware was the discipline displayed by the soldiers," added the Singapore Airlines Executive Vice President of HR & Operations.

Fellow ACCORD member, Ms Madhu Khanna, shared similar sentiments: "(The AOH) was very well-organised and that speaks of the discipline of the Singapore Army, and also of what they speak of: which is to be ready and to be strong and safe."

For the Principal of Global Indian International School, who is a Permanent Resident here, the open house gave her a "feeling to connect with Singapore".

"I was expecting a fun-filled and adventurous event and that's what I found."