DOING OUR PART

While the defence of Singapore remains the SAF's core mission, it has been taking part in United Nations peace support missions for almost 20 years. PIONEER checks in with some of the teams that the SAF recently sent abroad.

Since 1989, Singapore has been contributing within its means to UN-sanctioned peace support efforts around the world as a responsible member of the global community.

For its first UN operation, the SAF sent 14 personnel to Namibia as election supervisors. The scope of such contributions has since included humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, as well as providing military observers and medical and air support.

Last year, the SAF sent more than 220 personnel on such missions to Afghanistan, Nepal, Timor-Leste and in the Northern Arabian Gulf.

In an increasingly complex security landscape, international cooperation has become vital in combating terrorism and other transnational threats.

Preparing for Afghanistan

In 2007, the SAF sent two five-man teams to Afghanistan as part of the UN-led initiative to stabilise and reconstruct the country, working with the Provincial Reconstruction Team from the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF).

The Dental Project Team (DPT) and the Engineer Project Team (EPT) were each deployed for three months in the central province of Bamiyan, a mountainous territory about 2,800m above sea level with harsh temperature extremes.

While Bamiyan is one of the country's safer provinces, both teams engaged in heavy pre-deployment preparation, which included acquiring armoured vehicles, bullet-proof vests and other protective equipment. They also spent a few weeks training with the NZDF troops in Waiouru early last year.

This stint in New Zealand, said EPT member MAJ Ming Fook Kuen, made them "more aware of the environmental demands and threats" in Afghanistan, and allowed them to create more detailed training programmes for themselves back home.

Besides training in weapon handling, chemical defence, trauma management and negotiation tactics, cross-country driving also geared them up for the rugged terrain they had to traverse in Bamiyan.

Getting their teeth into Bamiyan

The DPT, led by LTC Lee Kuan Chung, set up the first dental clinic at the hospital in Bamiyan province from scratch.

Before leaving last August, the team treated close to 1,000 patients and trained the local dentists and dental assistants in running the clinic.

They also held talks on oral health in schools and orphanages, and gave out 6,500 packs of dental supplies.

LTC Lee said that the DPT worked closely with the local hospital administration and found the staff there "very supportive".

Another positive note was the team's collaboration with the "hospitable and friendly" NZDF, whose personnel "went out of their way to ensure mission success".

"The people of Bamiyan have gone through so much hardship, and there's much more that we can do for them," said dental officer MAJ (Dr) Lee Chee Wee.

"Hopefully, what we've done in Bamiyan is only the beginning. Perhaps one day, they'll be able to provide dental services to the public."

Paving the way

From July to October, the EPT, led by LTC Ong Chia Choong, worked with the local Afghan contractors on building two bridges at the Monara and Chapdara villages.

The team also helped supervise the construction of a water supply system for a university dormitory and a culvert.

The negotiation skills picked up back home came into play, as disputes had to be settled in the process.

"As Bamiyan lacks proper infrastructure, the best 'roads' they have are sand and mud tracks. The bridges are just timber logs laid across the river, and they are only accessible on foot," said MAJ Ming.

With the new bridges, the villagers will be able to travel to the hospital, market and other key facilities more conveniently and safely.

Undergraduates staying at the dormitory can now get water without having to walk up a hill to fetch water from the natural spring.

"It's an eye-opening experience to see how people in other countries live, and it puts your own life into perspective," said EPT member CPT Benjamin Heok.

"Professionally, I think we ve gained quite a lot of operational experience from the preparation and the deployment, so we ll be better able to contribute to other missions."