AT THE TOP OF THEIR GAME

So near, yet so far.

For years, the Republic of Singapore Air Force's (RSAF's) 145 Squadron (SQN) knew exactly how it felt to be inches away from success.

"For the past few years, we've always come out near the top," said 145 SQN's Commanding Officer Lieutenant Colonel (LTC) Lim Kok Hong, referring to his squadron's performance in previous years of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) Best Unit Competition (BUC).

This year, they finally tasted victory, as 145 SQN bagged the Best Fighter Squadron award, making it their first win since operating the F-16D BLK 52+ multi-role fighter aircraft in 2004.

Considered one of the most advanced multi-role fighter aircraft in the world, the F-16D BLK 52+ is armed with state-of-the-art avionics, advanced weapons and sensor suites.

LTC Lim, who has been in command of the squadron for the past six months, cited his unit's open culture as a key factor of their success: "It doesn't matter what rank you are in the squadron, we're specialists in each of our areas ... so we speak our minds and share our views on how to do better."

"Every time we do that, we align our goals and commit to them, and with good commitment comes good performance," he said.

Besides 145 SQN, other winners of the BUC include the Republic of Singapore Navy's (RSN's) RSS Valiant and the Army's 1st Commando Battalion (1 Cdo Bn), which took home the Best Ship and Best Combat Unit awards respectively.

Crowned Best Ship in 1993 and 1998, RSS Valiant is the first upgraded Victory-Class Missile Corvette (MCV) to win the award. Changes to the missile corvettes from the upgrading include an enhanced Combat Management System and improved sensors, with the ScanEagle Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) being incorporated into the ship.

The ship's Commanding Officer, LTC Francis Goh, spoke of a steep learning curve when he took command last June. Besides being unfamiliar with the upgraded systems, half of the eight officers on board his ship were new. He attributed the ship's win to his capable crew who helped him and the new officers get up to speed to operate the upgraded ship.

Among the experienced crew is the coxswain, Military Expert (ME) 3 Terence Tay. As the most senior member on the ship, he acted as the bridge between the CO and crew members, giving feedback to the CO on the ground sentiments and explaining management decisions to the crew.

He said: "To most of my crew, I'm like an elder brother. They trust me and are willing to share their problems, and during informal interactions, I'm able to advise and help them with their problems."

For 1 Cdo Bn, this is their ninth consecutive win, which brings their award tally to 26 since the BUC was introduced in 1969.

Commandos are elite soldiers who carry out specialised operations such as reconnaissance missions and airborne assaults, and 1 Cdo Bn comprises mainly Full-time National Servicemen (NSFs).

When asked how 1 Cdo Bn has managed to retain its edge over other combat units year after year, the battalion's 2nd-in-command (2IC) Major Chew Ern Pau replied: "It's the attitudes of the NSFs that we get. They've got very strong fighting spirit... One thing about the younger generation is that they have this 'can do, will do' spirit."

One who exhibits this spirit is Corporal (CPL) Sham Kumar, who commented that the strong bonds shared by commandos help them spur one another on.

On how it feels to be part of the Best Combat Unit, CPL Sham said: "As the Best Combat Unit, people know that we are the guys who'll be at the frontline if Singapore ever goes to war. It's a heavy responsibility."

Since 1969, this annual BUC recognises units which have excelled in the areas of combat readiness, operational proficiency and administrative excellence. Besides the BUC, there is also a Best National Service (NS) Unit Competition held yearly since 1993.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen will present the awards to the winners at the SAF Day Parade on 1 Jul at SAFTI Military Institute.