EARNING THEIR STARS, CRESTS, BARS AND STRIPES

Come 1 July, Military Expert (ME) 7 Lee Ling Wee will be the only person in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) with the epaulette bearing two bars and two stripes.

With his promotion to the rank of ME8, ME7 Lee will be the first to attain the pinnacle rank of the Military Domain Experts Scheme (MDES).

At the SAF promotion ceremony held at the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) Auditorium on 27 Jun, ME7 Lee was among 402 officers, 42 military experts and 29 warrant officers from the Army, Navy and Air Force to be promoted to the next higher rank.

Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen presented certificates to those promoted to the ranks of Senior Warrant Officer, ME7 and ME8, as well as Colonel and above.

In addition, Chief of Defence Force Lieutenant-General Neo Kian Hong presented certificates to personnel promoted to the ranks of Master Warrant Officer, ME6, Lieutenant Colonel (LTC) and Senior LTC.

Among the promotees were Chief of Army Brigadier-General (BG) Ravinder Singh and Chief of Navy Rear-Admiral (RADM) Ng Chee Peng, who received certificates for their promotions to the ranks of Major-General and Rear-Admiral (two stars) respectively.

Commenting on the significance of his promotion, ME7 Lee, who is the Head of Air Logistics in the Republic of Singapore Air Force, said: "The MDES is unique even among armed forces around the world...It's a bold move by MINDEF to meet the rising aspirations of younger Singaporeans.

"My promotion to this highest rank is significant in the sense that it creates greater awareness among the public about the scheme, which offers interesting career prospects and opportunities."

Division Sergeant Major of Headquarters 3rd Singapore Division Master Warrant Officer Ng Siak Ping shared similar sentiments of having experienced many opportunities to upgrade his knowledge and skills by attending courses locally and overseas.

In his 28 years of military service, his achievements include being the first international student to bag the Iron Soldier Award for being the fittest soldier in a United States Army Sergeant Major course.

He said: "The organisation and my commanders have helped to groom me in becoming who I am today." MWO Ng will be promoted to the rank of Senior Warrant Officer.

While the SAF provides various opportunities to develop its personnel, Colonel Lai Chung Han has found that such opportunities may sometimes be found outside of one's job scope.

The Fleet Commander of the Republic of Singapore Navy, who will be promoted to the rank of Rear-Admiral (one star), cited examples of his involvement in the recent International Maritime Defence Exhibition, the SAF Day Parade, and Exercise Bersama Lima, an exercise conducted under the Five Power Defence Arrangement.

"MINDEF and the SAF believe in developing its people, and they give members opportunities to grow, which are presented in both our primary and secondary responsibilities," he said.

For those recognised at the ceremony, the promotion is hardly a license to rest on their laurels.

Major (MAJ) Mohamad Noor Bin Abdul Kassim, an Operations Trainer in the Infantry Training Institute, already has work laid out for him.

With his promotion to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, he will be taking on a brigade-level appointment as an Operations Officer, and will serve as a branch head in the General Staff Inspectorate.

"I hope to contribute the best I can and give more back to the organisation," he added.

The SAF promotion exercise is part of an ongoing effort to recognise and groom officers, military experts and warrant officers who perform well and demonstrate potential to contribute further to the SAF.

All promotions will take effect from 1 Jul.