GOING OUT WITH A BANG

Dark clouds gathered above, threatening to foil the ceremony, but the 256 men of 2nd People's Defence Force (2 PDF) remained vigilant under the gaze of Brigadier-General (BG) Tay Swee Yee as he inspected his men one last time.

With roaring three cheers from members of the Lion Family, BG Tay Swee Yee handed over the Baton of Command to Colonel (COL) Lowrence Chua, the new Commander of 2 PDF.

Stepping down from the post of Commander 2 PDF after more than four years on the job, BG Tay left behind a legacy of outstanding performance and considerable change.

Under his leadership, 2 PDF had transformed into an integrated Island Defence Headquarters, working hand-in-hand with Home Team counterparts in homeland security and defence missions. BG Tay was also instrumental in the formation of an active Protection of Installation Battalion - the 6th Battalion, Singapore Infantry Regiment (6 SIR).

Despite the heavy responsibilities that come with the post of Commander 2 PDF, BG Tay was confident that his successor would do well.

He said: "COL Lowrence Chua has shown to have an excellent grasp of the roles and responsibilities of command, and I'm proud to hand this over to him."

COL Chua is no stranger to the role of leadership, having held a wide range of command appointments in his 26 years of service.