NEW NAME FOR SINGAPORE COMMAND AND STAFF COLLEGE

The Singapore Command and Staff College (SCSC) has been renamed the Goh Keng Swee Command and Staff College (GKS-CSC) in honour of the late former Minister for Defence's contributions to the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF).

The renaming of the college located at SAFTI Military Institute was officiated by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Teo Chee Hean on 1 Feb. In his opening speech, Mr Teo lauded Dr Goh for his far-sighted vision for the SAF.

In developing indigenous capabilities to support the SAF's needs, Dr Goh set up many facilities which, over the years, evolved into key players in Singapore's defence eco-system such as ST Engineering and DSO National Laboratories.

"Dr Goh's 'seeds' have since developed into a robust defence technology eco-system that complements and supports the SAF," said Mr Teo.

He added that Dr Goh will always be remembered for the principles and military values that he championed.

When Dr Goh set out to build the SAF from scratch, he believed that there was a need to emphasise on developing capable commanders to provide quality leadership for a thinking armed forces. He also believed that it was crucial to instil a fighting spirit and a strong sense of purpose among them.

"These qualities remain important to the SAF, particularly in today's complex and uncertain landscape where our men and women have to stand ready to face a wide spectrum of threats," Mr Teo said.

Therefore, it was only appropriate that the SAF's highest institution for training senior officers be named after him. In doing so, Mr Teo hopes future commanders who step into the halls of the college will take guidance from the principles and military values that Dr Goh espoused.

Lieutenant-General (LG) (Ret) Winston Choo, the first chief of defence force of the SAF, agreed with Mr Teo.

After all, he said, Dr Goh was the architect of the SAF who saw the importance of good commanders with good leadership qualities.

"The college trains commanders at higher levels and imbues them with the skills to lead in operations," said LG (Ret) Choo. "So that they can go into operations and lead soldiers to a decisive victory."

A new addition at the GKS-CSC is the Goh Keng Swee Gallery, which pays tribute to Dr Goh by showcasing a chronology of key milestones during his time as Minister for Defence.

The most prominent item on display is the Darjah Utama Temasek (Order of Temasek) medal, which was awarded to Dr Goh for his tremendous contributions not just to the SAF but also other ministries.

LG (Ret) Choo felt that the gallery will give the younger generations a better understanding of Dr Goh's work.

"Younger generations tend to forget who the earlier leaders were and in the case of Dr Goh, the Singapore Armed Forces would not be what it is today if not for his visions." he explained.