MODEL MEN

Among them, these three Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) servicemen have over 70 years of experience in the military. They have quietly nurtured many of their staff, earning respect from their peers and younger soldiers in the process.

Speaking to Senior Warrant Officer (SWO) Peter Estrop is like watching a good action movie: it leaves you energised and feeling like anything is possible. And even though you already know the ending (the good guys prevail), you are compelled to watch (or listen, in this case) simply because every little detail is tantalising.

The story starts off simply. As a young commando in 1978, SWO Estrop had a singular aim in mind: "When you are young, you just want to perform and prove yourself."

As PIONEER speaks to him in an office filled with mementos of his past roles, it is clear that he has done that and more.

For example, there is a plaque from a famously arduous overseas military training course in the United States hanging from a wall of his office in Hendon Camp. There are also many mementos from his stints with other SAF units such as the School of Infantry Specialists (now called the Specialist Cadet School), and of course, his pace-stick, a symbol of his authority as Formation Sergeant-Major of the Commandos.

Nurturing the next generation

Though having a tough-as-nails reputation helped, it was his softer qualities which drew servicemen to him. "His platoon was always laughing and seemed to comprise very merry characters," recalled Master Warrant Officer (MWO) Jeffrey Wong of his time as a young Commando trainee in 1988.

"When we graduated from the course, we all wanted to join the 'Peter' platoon!"

It was about 15 years before MWO Wong had the chance to work with his mentor. In 2003, SWO Estrop was an Officer Commanding at the School of Infantry Specialists, and MWO Wong was one of the platoon commanders in the school.

"SWO Estrop likes to see other people succeed," said MWO Wong, recounting the time he helped SWO Estrop churn out a definitive compendium of urban operation drills which all infantry soldiers practise today. MWO Wong was given the chance to present the team s work to senior SAF commanders and leadership, earning him high praise for a job well done.

And that is the way SWO Estrop likes it: "While you guide them and follow through with them, you don't always have to claim credit in the end. You've got to highlight these younger people who are up and coming because the organisation will depend on them in the future."

And as a father of four, he sees looking after his young charges in the Commandos as a parental role. Take for example Full-time National Serviceman (NSF) Corporal (CPL) Julian Goh, who initially had problems adjusting to military life.

For offences like reporting late and making mistakes at work, SWO Estrop could easily have disciplined the young man harshly.

Instead, he chose to speak to CPL Goh to learn the cause of the lacklustre attitude.

"The generation entering NS (National Service) today want to know why they are tasked to do certain things," explained SWO Estrop. After talking to CPL Goh, SWO Estrop now describes the young soldier as having an "exemplary character".

"I was quite mischievous and not very disciplined before coming into NS," said CPL Goh. "I was fortunate to have met SWO Estrop. For the lack of a better expression, I am a better man now."

New perspectives

SWO Estrop believes that the SAF's seven core values are imbued in youths by their parents even before they enter NS.

"When your mum and dad told you not to do something simply because it was wrong, that was ethics. When they told you to press on and persevere, that was discipline and fighting spirit," said SWO Estrop. According to him, these words never fail to make each new cohort sit up and listen.

As he imparts his perspectives to the next batch, SWO Estrop is learning new ones of his own. He recently completed an Advanced Diploma in Instructional Design at the National Institute of Education, where he learnt how to structure and design courses to suit the younger generation. Before that, he had completed a similar diploma course from 2004 to 2007.

"It taught me about things such as the pyschology of learners and packaging information in easily understood forms," said SWO Estrop.

"I love to teach, engage our people and find ways to improve our teaching methods and do my job better."

"Many of the Warrant Officers here look up to him. As NSFs, we also respect him a lot."
- Corporal (NSF) Michael Rosenberger,1st Commando Battalion, on SWO Estrop

ME4 Ong Teck Lim
Coxswain
RSS Supreme
Enlisted: September 1986

Trained as a naval Gunner, Military Expert 4 (ME4) Ong Teck Lim is like a living encyclopedia of the gunnery systems across the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) fleet.

To date, he has served on board seven RSN ships and spent three years as a gunnery instructor in the School of Naval Training which is now known as the Institute of Maritime Operations and Systems (IMOS). Over the years, he has seen his role evolve from that of a weapons operator to a crew leader and mentor.

Though he is now a Coxswain managing the crew on board the frigate RSS Supreme, ME4 Ong remains firmly rooted in his gunnery roots.

The logic is simple: "For the crew to respect and look up to you, it's important to be proficient in the things that you do".

"The challenge is for a gunner to hit a moving target while the ship is also in constant motion. Only experience can teach you how to do that well, as the manuals and drills impart only the basics," he explained.

RSS Supreme s Chief Weapon Systems ME3 Koh Chee Khng remembered his time as a trainee in 1996, when ME4 Ong was an instructor at what is now known as IMOS: "He was very knowledgeable and always willing to share his insights with us."

Vast experience

In the course of his 25-year career, ME4 Ong served as the first batch of crew for two RSN ships: missile corvette RSS Victory and stealth frigate RSS Formidable.

During both times, he helped to lay down the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for the gunnery crew.

The challenge was the same to bring both ships up to an operationally-ready state of readiness.

"There was a lot to do - putting in place operational and safety processes - because there was no example to follow," said ME4 Ong.

When the RSS Formidable won the annual Top Gun award as part of the annual SAF-wide Best Units Competition in 2009, ME4 Ong felt a sense of satisfaction even though he had left the ship for missile corvette RSS Vigilance.

"It proved that the SOPs we developed as the pioneer gunnery crew worked," said ME4 Ong.

Throughout his career, his time on board missile corvette RSS Vigour stands out for him because that was the time they won the Top Gun award for two consecutive years from 1999.

These days, ME4 Ong's role has changed dramatically. As coxswain, he is responsible for maintaining a high level of operational readiness on board the RSS Supreme.

As people come and go due to job rotations, training the men and women under him is an evergreen challenge.

Their welfare remains a top priority for ME4 Ong. "Even though there is a need to continually train, it's also important to know when to stop before crew members are completely exhausted," he said.

"After all, a sufficiently rested crew is more productive than an over-trained and tired one."

Beyond duty

ME4 Ong sees it as his personal responsibility to maintain a high level of morale in his men, and welfare for his crew extends beyond issues surrounding work.

For ME2 Murely Suppas, it was ME4 Ong's listening ear which moved him. In 2009, he experienced some problems in his personal life.

"I was very down during that period, nothing seemed to matter and I lost interest in my work," said ME2 Murely, Weapons Supervisor RSS Supreme.

ME4 Ong noticed that ME2 Murely was not being his usual self, and took him aside to ask what was wrong.

After a lengthy talk, ME2 Murely began to see that his duties on board the ship were larger than his personal challenges.

"He gave me projects to do, which helped to divert my attention away from my problems. After a while, I was back on track," said ME2 Murely. "To me, he's more than a boss, he's a father figure."

Of course, ME4 Ong disagreed when he heard that. "I see myself as an elder brother. After all, I'm only 41!" he laughed.

"He had a reputation for being fierce and regimental. After a while, I realised that he cared deeply for each member of his crew."
- ME2 Phua Heng Kiat, who was ME4 Ong's trainee in 2003

ME4 Tan Wee Seng
Command Chief Warrant Officer
UAV Command
Enlisted: September 1983

ME4 Tan Wee Seng is a well-respected man in Tengah Air Base, where he is Command Chief Warrant Officer (CCWO) at the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Command.

As PIONEER follows him to his office, he stops ever so often to exchange a few words or a simple greeting with his fellow airmen.

It is easy to see why others look up to him. According to 1st Warrant Officer (1WO) Paul Lim Teck Seng, Chief Warrant Officer, 119 Squadron, ME4 Tan is "meticulous and detailed in his work, and he will tell you frankly when things are not done right. But more importantly, he is always at hand to provide encouragement and guidance".

Listening to the ground

This attention to detail served him well when he was posted to the Air Manpower Department in 2002 and got involved in the Warrant Officers, Specialists and Airmen (WOSA) Enhancement Study, or WES.

This study aimed to determine the future roles and responsibilities of the WOSA Corps, developing a framework to further their advancement in the RSAF.

He was instrumental in conducting workshops, gathering opinions and understanding the aspirations of people from the ground, as well as the interview of senior RSAF management on how they hoped to see the WOSA Corps evolve as the RSAF transforms into a 3rd Generation Fighting Force.

From that, ME4 Tan began to understand that what most WOSAs wanted was to take on more responsibilities, particularly in managing themselves in the aspects of career and training.

"We are the right people to groom and develop our own corps," said ME4 Tan of the bold idea.

He put this into practice in his present role as the CCWO of UAV Command, constantly engaging airmen to understand the ground issues and to communicate the organisation's intent.

Being trained as a paracounsellor, he makes time to listen to his men.

"I derive great satisfaction when you see the change in the serviceman that you have helped. By investing a little time and effort, you can make a significant difference in their lives and they will then be able to serve the organisation better," said ME4 Tan, who received the Distinguished Service Excellence Award in 2010.

Grooming talent from within

In the past, Regimental Sergeant-Majors (RSMs) in the air bases were from the Army. "While an RSM was a pinnacle appointment which people looked up to, there was no connect for our airmen," explained ME4 Tan.

"We envisaged that these appointments could be filled by our own people from the RSAF - strong and competent professionals that our airmen can look upon as their role models."

After the RSAF was restructured into five operational commands, the CCWO appointments were created. Besides the RSM's usual duties of regimentation, drills and discipline, the new role encompassed the grooming and development of the WOSA Corps.

Another recommendation which came about through WES was a structured grooming framework designed to help RSAF WOSAs reach their fullest potential. The initiative called for personnel to be more involved in the planning and execution of RSAF and even SAF-level events.

"We wanted this so that more of our people could be exposed to how higher-level planning works in the SAF," said ME4 Tan.

He is happy to note that he has seen the WOSA Corps grow by leaps and bounds.

"At the end, the readiness of the organisation to recognise the untapped potential of our WOSA Corps was key to the success of WES," he said.

Air Force Engineer ME2 Crystal Soh was one of the first to benefit from this initiative when she was roped in to help ME4 Tan with staff work for events he was organising.

"My work tends to be more technical and helping ME4 Tan allowed me to see beyond the usual scope in my unit," she said.

"ME4 Tan is a very objective person, with a clear vision of the goals he has in mind."
- ME2 Crystal Soh, Air Force Engineer