EVERY SOLDIER IS A LEADER

Chief of Army Major-General (MG) Ravinder Singh gives his views on the Army's ongoing transformation efforts, today's new generation of soldiers and more.

Mention the word "tablet" and what's the image that first pops into mind? These days, it is more likely to be a sleek mobile device than a pill.

Wiith information technology becoming increasingly ubiquitous in everyday life, it is no wonder that modern systems and hi-tech gear have become a hallmark of the Army's modernisation efforts.

Field training, for instance, will be enhanced with the use of tablet computers which allow soldiers to quickly and conveniently access a database of training materials for easy reference.

In his first interview with local media since taking over as the Army Chief in March, MG Singh emphasised that "at the end of the day, to have capable, credible soldiers, we need to get them out into the field doing tough, realistic training, and to do that, we need to reduce the amount of time spent in the classroom".

For example, the LEARNet system, a digital platform which provides greater flexibility and accessibility to learning materials, has helped the Army to cut classroom time by about 20 percent, and this has been reinvested in field training.

MG Singh also noted that key platform acquisitions have been completed, and that the elements of the first 3rd Generation Army Division are in place.

However, he added: "We have all these platforms, but operating them, working with each other and coordinating, synchronising, making sure we're doing the right things at the right time, is the soldier."

Fighting spirit

"If you want to determine the total military capacity of a force, you take military capability - the platform systems you have like your Leopard tank, HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket System), Skyblade - and multiply it by the will to fight. If the will to fight is zero, no matter how many platforms and systems you have, you will never have a capable military.

A very important difference for the 3rd Generation Army is that every soldier is a leader.

First, he must push himself to be a good, confident and competent soldier. Next, he has to lead his peers. Beyond the platform and systems, the 3rd Generation Army is really a network, and whether you're a Skyblade or HIMARS operator, you must be able to communicate and share information with each other to make decisions at the peer level.

Finally, he must be able to galvanise his team and ensure that they are well-trained and committed to succeed in their mission.

We are demanding a lot more from our soldiers today - we need to train them in a wide variety of equipment, to operate within a system and in complex environments. This means we need to build training systems which are more efficient and effective so that our people become very proficient in operating their systems within a very short time.

We also need to make sure that our soldiers are engaged and committed, and we continue to want to put in tremendous effort in developing our people and strengthening their level of commitment and engagement."

Meeting expectations

"Our generation of soldiers today are better educated, more adaptive and learn faster. They are just the right type of soldiers we need for this Army. And I think they have all the attributes necessary for us to make them 3rd Generation soldiers.

But we also must recognise that...we need to train, to develop the soldiers to the level that's required.

I would say that all of us who are in uniform, and of course all Singaporeans, recognise that the soldier whose maid carried his backpack does not represent the whole Army. Yes, this sort of things happen... But when it happens, it is heartening to know that the right response comes out from our soldiers, from our NSmen (Operationally Ready National Servicemen), and also from the public.

For the Army, what it means is that we just have to work harder to train our soldiers to make sure that they understand what is expected of them, and make sure that they live up to that expectation."

Lifelong soldier

"As some people have said, you'll never leave the Army. If you serve in it for 20 years, I can assure you that you become a soldier through and through. Even when I was Deputy Secretary (Technology) in the Ministry of Defence, I worked very closely with the Army, looking at all the platforms they were acquiring and how they were going to build up the capabilities and training systems. So coming back to the Army wasn't too difficult because there was no break in terms of my engagement with it.

It also gave me an opportunity to see how information technologies were evolving and how they were being used. Recognising that we now have a generation of soldiers who are very comfortable with social media and working independently through information technology, it allows me, as the Army Chief, to say that we need to push the boundaries in terms of the way we train our people and also the way we engage our people, using some of these new technologies."

"Our Army is not just about platforms, systems and vehicles. It's about people. We have 320,000 people in the Army, and the only thing that can get them engaged, ready to fight and to defend the country is leadership."

- MG Ravinder Singh