OUR SECRET RECIPE
// STORY Teo Jing Ting
// PHOTOS Kenneth Lin & Chai Sian Liang
Every action counts
1st Commando Battalion (1 CDO's) Commanding Officer (CO) Lieutenant Colonel (LTC) Ng Kiang Chuan and Full-time National Serviceman Corporal First Class (CFC) Thaddaeus Koh give their thoughts on the unit's win.
Best Combat Unit
1st Commando Battalion
Fun fact
It's their 14th consecutive win and 31st in total!
Congrats on your win! What was your secret recipe?
LTC Ng: I always emphasise to the battalion that we have to work as a big team. Every individual has to take ownership of his role, and as commanders, it is important that we communicate the purpose and the importance of their roles to ensure that their every little action counts.
How did you do this?
LTC Ng: We focused a lot on building soldier fundamentals, physical conditioning and field competency within each individual. We picked up lessons learnt from previous training sessions, and continued building on areas that we did not do well in. For instance, one of the challenges is that our soldiers tend to become sleepy in the day. To overcome this, we design the training such that it stretches their abilities and keeps them occupied.
What was a memorable mission that you went through?
CFC Koh: It was a three-day-two-night overseas mission. After capturing the objective, we had to evacuate casualties up and down a hill countless times under the scorching sun. It was the first time that I almost reached my breaking point, but my teammates kept on giving me water and telling me not to give up.
LTC Ng: During the battalion proficiency evaluation in March, we were inserted from the air into the area of operations for a mission. Despite walking another 1km to the start line and being drained from the near 40-degree weather, there were no complaints and we got ready for the next mission which was another 30km away. What impressed me was the soldiers' strong determination. This is a story that I'm proud of and this is the behaviour of a Commando.
Pushing ahead as one
Coxswain of RSS Steadfast Military Expert (ME) 4 D. Vijayan and Electrical Control Systems Supervisor ME2 Dexter Ang tell PIONEER there is no secret ingredient for their win -- it was simply good ol' teamwork.
Best Fleet Unit
RSS Steadfast
Fun fact
The ship also won the Squadron Best Ship award in 2008 and 2010.
Congrats! So why do you think you won?
ME4 Vijayan: The main contributing factor for the win was the teamwork and perseverance of the crew. That made the difference. Even during tough times, the team did not fall apart. We pressed and pushed on and made sure that we were able to do the job.
Were there any memorable missions?
ME2 Ang: The Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2016 multinational exercise marked the first time that a Singapore ship took the lead in one of the missions... It's usually the French or American ships that lead the missions. It was a huge deal for us and we did well.
What are some qualities that the crew of RSS Steadfast embody?
ME4 Vijayan: We strongly believe in cohesiveness and fighting spirit. Coupled with good guidance from the command team, we always take our training very seriously and strive to excel in whatever we do.
ME2 Ang: There is a good support system among the crew -- from the officers and department chiefs to the supervisors and operators. Once you've established such trust, things will work like clockwork. The command team never fails to lead us in the right direction and always trusts the crew to do what is right. So even in tough times, we push on because we know that everyone is in it together.
How do you feel about coming up tops?
ME4 Vijayan: At 50, I'm the oldest person on board and I'm like a father figure to the rest of the crew. I talk to them a lot, take care of them, look out for their safety and maintain discipline on the ship. They are like my family and I see this family more than I see my own! I'm happy to have them share the win and we will strive to maintain it.
A strong fighting spirit
To 143 SQN's CO LTC Ong Teck Koon and Air Force Engineer (AFE) ME1 Kaarthigan Anbalahan, one thing is clear: they are all set to defend their newfound title.
Best Fighter squadron
143 Squadron
Fun fact
The squadron also won Best Fighter Squadron in 1989 and 1990.
Congrats! Were you surprised by the win?
LTC Ong: Definitely! The last time that we won this title was more than 25 years ago, so we didn't think winning was within reach. 143 SQN may be a small squadron, but we are very operational and family-oriented. Over the last few years, we have built up a good team. Each time we set out to do something, we have the squadron's best interest in mind and perform our task to the best of our abilities.
So you guys are one big, happy family?
ME1 Kaarthigan: Whenever someone needs help, there will always be help offered. There is no segregation in rank, age or even the roles that we do. The bond between the AFEs and the pilots are very strong and we can talk to one another about anything - from work to personal matters. Even when someone messes up, he or she will be given encouragement and solutions on ways to perform the task better. All this makes the squadron feel more like home.
How will you be defending this title?
LTC Ong: When we won "Best Fighter Spirit" in Top Ace Challenge 2014 (an annual competition held within the Fighter Group), I challenged my squadron to defend this title and we have done so for four consecutive years. It was no easy feat. This is the new challenge that I pose to my guys: we must not rest on our laurels. We must defend this (Best Fighter Squadron) title and put in our best to take the trophy home again next year.
ME1 Kaarthigan: Since our "Best Fighter Spirit" win, this fighting spirit has always been in us -- from working and training together to fighting it out in competitions. It has always kept us going and I'm confident we can keep it up in subsequent years. We will inculcate this spirit in our juniors and pass all our tips to them. The morale is very high now and I don't think it's going to be an issue for us to sustain the win.
