DREAM TEAM-UPS

The Officers, Warrant Officers (WOs), and Military Experts in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) don different rank insignias, but they belong to the same family. When all three Corps work together, they are an unstoppable force.

In the 16 days of Exercise Forging Sabre, about 700 SAF servicemen orchestrated and executed a complex integrated live-firing exercise across an expansive training area in Phoenix, Arizona, United States, as they lit up the desert from 2 to 17 Dec last year.

On the ground, it took members of the WO Corps like 1st Sergeant (1SG) Jess Ong Sze Hwee to work the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS). And there were airmen like Air Force Engineer (AFE) Military Expert (ME) 4-3 Yogesh Mehta and pilots like Lieutenant (LTA) Lim Zheng Ee - both of whom work on the CH-47 Chinook helicopter - to keep the aerial dance going.

Air team

To LTA Lim, the exercise would have been impossible, if not for AFEs like ME4-3 Yogesh and the aircrew who are WOs and Specialists. "The MEs make sure that the aircraft are serviceable and ready while members of the WO Corps assist the pilots to make sure that each operation goes smoothly."

Air Crew Specialist (ACS) Leaders take care of the rest of the crew and help the pilots to make sure that everything is going well in the back of the aircraft. "They usually have been serving for a longer time and have vast experience and knowledge," said LTA Lim, 25.

"As a pilot, I find their experience very valuable in helping me understand the intricacies and considerations of helicopter operations in different situations."

Speedy turnaround

He recalled landing in the Arizona desert: "During several of our night missions, we needed to insert our forces at objectives where brownouts were very likely."

"Brownout" is an aviation term used to describe landing in severely dusty conditions, such as in deserts, where visibility is reduced due to dust clouds. The closest thing to a brownout on land is probably trying to park a car with your eyes closed.

That's when the three Corps have to work closely together, said LTA Lim. During the landing approach, the ACS Leader and Air Crew Specialists assist the pilots by closely observing the landing from the windows and talking to the pilots. Once on the ground, the AFEs (who are MEs) quickly open the ramp for troops to exit the plane.

"This is to ensure that the helicopter spends as little time as possible on the ground because that's when it is most vulnerable," explained LTA Lim.

After that, it is time for pre-flight checks conducted by the AFEs to make sure that the aircraft is good for a return flight.

So, would their missions have been possible without all three Corps? To this question, LTA Lim's reply came quick and fast - "No."

Rocket people

It was a similar scene on the ground for the HIMARS crew, as personnel from the three Corps worked together to deliver precision fire on targets.

While 1SG Ong is well trained in operating the HIMARS, certain technical aspects of the system require the deeper knowledge of the MEs. The WO Corps are adept at using weapon systems - having trained extensively to fight using those systems -while the MEs concentrate on gaining intimate systems knowledge. Think James Bond and Q.

"With their knowledge and expertise in planning and technical aspects, the guidance of the MEs and Officers really value-added to the training," said 1SG Ong.

Asked to describe how the WO Corps help the SAF achieve its mission objectives, she replied: "Our expertise is in the operation portion. We are the ones who make things happen and translate plans into reality."

Desert dance

Exercise Forging Sabre 2013 was the most complex training exercise the SAF had conducted to date, manoeuvring against a thinking enemy (directed by two senior SAF commanders) and striking fast-moving targets. To operate at this level, a military force must be able to sense-make quickly and launch the right response at the right time.

It involved SAF assets such as the F-15SG and F-16C/D fighter aircraft, AH-64D Apache and CH-47 Chinook helicopters from the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF), and the HIMARS from the Army.

With so many moving parts, one mis-step is all it takes for the battle to be lost. For example, it is not enough that the HIMARS crew are good at operating the advanced weapon system. They have to be able to integrate with the rest of the SAF. Likewise for the airmen, who have to keep their aircraft primed and ready to deal with the next target.

"I think the three Corps are different functioning parts of the same body, they assist each other to get the mission done," said 1SG Ong.

"After all, no one person or Corps can do all the work."

Did you know?

The Officers, WOs and MEs each have their pinnacle appointments. Each of the three Corps complements the other to fulfil different roles and functions in the SAF.

The Officer Corps have the breadth of knowledge and experience to lead the SAF in strategising and operationalising its warfighting capabilities.

The WO Corps are the experts in tactical warfighting and training and form the backbone of the SAF.

The ME Corps are the domain experts in specialist military knowledge areas and are given opportunities to pursue deep professional specialisations and expertise.