MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN AFGHANISTAN

Ask any person on the street, and it is unlikely that any would be excited about heading to Afghanistan. But for Lieutenant-Colonel (LTC) James Tan and Captain (CPT) Quek Chee Tiong, the opportunity was something they could not pass up.

In support of Singapore's efforts towards multinational peace support missions, these soldiers formed part of the Singapore Armed Forces' (SAF's) 10-man Construction Engineering Team (CET) that was sent to the central Afghan province of Bamiyan in May 2008.

The mission was divided into two three-month rotations, but as LTC Tan and CPT Quek were the core members, they stayed for all six months and returned only on 31 Oct 08.

A rewarding challenge

While the SAF had deployed a five-man dental team and a five-man CET to Bamiyan back in 2007, the latest 10-man CET had never been to Afghanistan. Noting this, LTC Tan shared: "It challenged our professionalism, our ability to take care of ourselves and adapt to different contextual circumstances, while still being able to do a good job in helping the people in need over there."

Expressing his enthusiasm in extending a helping hand to the Afghan community, CPT Quek said: "I didn't feel that it was a burden or a chore to be there. It was nice to be there to contribute and help the people in whatever way they needed."

Due to the state of insurgency in Afghanistan, the team had to remain vigilant and alert and equip their weapons and bulletproof vests at all times. However, the combat engineer felt their comprehensive pre-deployment training, which was customised to their operational needs, ensured that they were well prepared and properly equipped for their mission.

A health-care issue

Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. This proverb aptly characterises the CET's vision during their overseas deployment.

Through a series of discussions with the provincial governor, Dr Habiba Surabi, and the director of public health in Bamiyan, the team decided to oversee the construction of a Regional Health Training Centre (RHTC) which will benefit the local community.

"Currently in Bamiyan, the state of health care is still pretty basic," explained LTC Tan. "One way to address the issue and tackle it at a systems level is to invest in proper training, so as to raise and sustain the overall competence and standards of health-care workers in the long term."

Tasked with overseeing and managing the construction of the RHTC, the CET worked closely with local contractors over a period of five months. They were able to share and impart construction techniques such as improved bricklaying methods to the Afghan contractors.

Besides providing training for 80 to 100 health-care workers on a monthly basis, the two-storey facility also serves as a one-stop centre for the conduct of vaccinations and public education programmes. With this training system in place, the Bamiyan Health Ministry will be more equipped to provide for the needs of the people in the province.

The CET also gave out educational materials, dental packs and food supplied by the SAF to the local population.

A mission to remember

The mission was highlighted by Minister for Defence Teo Chee Hean at the Overseas Service Medal presentation ceremony held on 10 Nov 08. All 10 members of the CET were among 59 servicemen who received the award in recognition of their work in overseas deployments.

Both LTC Tan and CPT Quek received the Bar (Enhanced), which recognises personnel who took part in the same overseas mission more than once, or who have served 180 days or more in the same operation.

Sharing his feelings about what they have accomplished, LTC Tan said: "The appreciation we received from the Afghanistan leadership and people was very heartening. It reinforced that sense of satisfaction that we've done something helpful to meet their needs."

A joint effort

In an increasingly interconnected world, international cooperation and involvement have become vital in building a secure and stable global environment. The importance of this was clear to members of the CET, which operated under the purview of the New Zealand Defence Force's (NZDF's) Provincial Reconstruction Team.

Said LTC Tan: "One of the things we learnt was how to deal with people from a different culture and context, such as the Afghan leadership, as well as relate to other military forces like the NZDF."

Having trained together with the NZDF prior to their deployment, the team found it easy to strike a comfortable rapport with foreign counterparts and even took turns to cook meals for the entire contingent.

"This was our little effort at food diplomacy to share a bit of Singapore food and culture with the New Zealanders, and I'm glad to say most of our efforts were rather well-received," said LTC Tan.

CPT Quek (left) helping out at the farewell dinner during the team's last week in Afghanistan. The meal was the culmination of the CET's friendly interaction with the NZDF.

As part of Singapore's continued assistance in the stabilisation and reconstruction of Afghanistan, the SAF followed up with another deployment to Afghanistan on 18 Nov 08.

The mission aims to support the Australian and Dutch forces deployed in the Oruzgan province, with a 20-man SAF medical team providing primary health care and ward capability at a field hospital in the provincial capital of Tarin Kowt.