CUSTOMISING CAREERS FOR MILITARY EXPERTS

Engineering, medical and military intelligence experts can now look forward to developing deep expertise and specialisation in their respective fields come 1 Apr 2010 when the new Military Domain Experts Scheme (MDES) kicks off.

First announced in May by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Teo Chee Hean, the scheme was one of several changes which resulted from a fundamental review of the SAF's career schemes to better match the increasingly complex demands of the 3rd Generation SAF.

"The new career schemes will allow the SAF to keep people who have a breadth of experience coupled with a depth of knowledge," said Brigadier-General Chan Chun Sing, Chief of Staff-Joint Staff, who was speaking to the media on 7 Oct.

New scheme, new vocations

One of the key details unveiled was a list of 12 MDES vocations which span a broad range of fields of expertise. Examples include Army Engineer, Naval Warfare System Engineer and Expert, Air Force Technician, Military Medical Expert and Military Intelligence Expert.

Military experts in these vocations will be able to further specialise in fields such as Airfield Operations, Electronics and Naval Combat Systems.

Besides having a career progression based on one's degree of expertise and work performance, MDES vocationalists will have ample opportunities for professional development. Their route of advancement will include various leadership and military knowledge courses as well as Domain Specialisation Courses specific to their areas of expertise. They can also look forward to numerous academic sponsorships and continuing education opportunities ranging from diploma to post-graduate courses.

New design, new structure

The design of the new rank was also shown to the public for the first time. It boasts a new insignia and uses bars of different thickness to indicate the graduations through the eight-rank structure. As the MDES is a uniformed scheme, there are designs for the No. 3 and No. 4 uniforms.

For the same reason, those on MDES will remain as military personneland continue to bear arms and take on operational roles as needed.

MDES personnel can also expect competitive salaries benchmarked against similar jobs in the private sector. This is in line with one of the key reasons for the changes, which is to attract and retain talent.

Other changes announced earlier include enhanced career schemes for officers and warrant officers which allow for longer and more fulfilling careers.