HONOURING EXCELLENCE AND DEDICATION IN MINDEF, SAF

He had to deal with a storeman who had anger issues, was rebellious and could not adjust to military life during his National Service (NS), but that did not stop First Warrant Officer (1WO) Devamani s/o S Narayasamy from engaging him.

In the end, 1WO Deva won the storeman over, and helped him to make the most of his two years of NS.

The Chief Warrant Officer in the 3rd Divisional Air Defence Artillery Battalion said: "It's not easy to change people's mindsets. Winning them is a hurdle, and you have to keep connecting with them before they'll open up to you."

For the past 26 years, 1WO has been crossing many such hurdles. Having spent a good 14 years of his Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) career as a trainer and instructor, he says it is his passion to develop people and help them understand their role in the organisation.

He said: "When servicemen finish their two years of NS, when they come forward to say thanks for the impact you've made, it gives you satisfaction and fulfilment."



For the dedication 1WO Deva displays in his job, he was awarded the Long Service Medal at the National Day Awards Investiture held at the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) on 1 Dec.

Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen and Minister of State for Defence and Education Lawrence Wong presented more than 550 personnel from MINDEF and the SAF with awards to recognise their excellent performance and commitment to duty.

In two ceremonies, 59 Commendation Medals, 120 Efficiency Medals and 382 Long Service Medals were given out to military and non-military personnel.

Military Expert (ME) 6 Keith Lim, who is a group head in the Naval Logistics Department, was among those who received the Commendation Medal for heading the initiative to get naval logistic engineers professionally certified. This certification signifies that they have the level of engineering competency that is recognised by the engineering industry outside the military.

He explained why the project was significant: "People are really our most important asset. It's important to ensure that our people develop themselves and be competent in their job so that they have the confidence to do the job."

Another recipient was ME3 Eugene Low, who is currently pursuing his undergraduate studies in Information Systems Management at the Singapore Management University under a Military Domain Experts Scheme study award.

He was awarded the Efficiency Medal in recognition of his involvement as part of the Imagery Analysis Team deployed to Afghanistan from August to December last year.

Then a supervisor in the Imagery Analysis Centre, he helped with the training and pre-deployment preparations, and documented the lessons learnt after the deployment.

Besides busying himself with the deployment, he was also involved in Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief operations in Indonesia, as well as homeland security operations during the National Day Parade and Formula One race.

He attributed his ability to multi-task to his colleagues. "I had a very efficient team with people who took the initiative and were willing to listen. I also had bosses who appreciated what we were doing, and gave us support at times when we felt overwhelmed," he said.

When asked how he felt about juggling so many plates at work, he replied: "I see these projects as a challenge, and I want to see if I am able to push myself further."