RSS STEADFAST EMERGES TOPS FOR NATIONAL EDUCATION EFFORTS

National Education (NE) is not just for students, it's for adults too, and in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), NE can be a lot of fun.

The crew of Formidable-class frigate RSS Steadfast, for example, came up with their own NE crossword puzzle for their own National Day celebrations this year. To make NE fun, they have also been organising annual treasure hunts since 2008, where they visit some of Singapore's historical gems such as war memorials and famous landmarks.

Such creative NE initiatives led RSS Steadfast to win the Chief of Defence Force (CDF) NE Excellence Award, the highest accolade given to SAF units in recognition of their exemplary NE efforts.

Commanding Officer of RSS Steadfast Lieutenant Colonel Amos Teo received the award from CDF Lieutenant-General Neo Kian Hong on behalf of his ship at MINDEF building on 28 Oct.

RSS Steadfast was awarded $5,000 worth of NE credits, which go towards funding their future NE initiatives. The three finalists - Officer Cadet School (OCS), Air Force Training Command and Headquarters Signals and Command Systems - each received $1,000 worth of NE credits.

"Winning this award is a form of recognition, and we hope our servicemen and women will continue to have a strong sense of purpose in their mission to defend the country," said Chief Weapon System and NE coordinator of RSS Steadfast Military Expert (ME) 3 Ang Choon Beng.

When asked how the crew is motivated to participate in NE activities, ME3 Ang told cyberpioneer: "We always try to plan our activities in a fun way, through games, puzzles or even National Day celebrations out in the sea.

"When fun is injected into such activities, I believe that it's easier for crew, especially the younger sailors, to absorb the message behind it."

The award winners also credited their NE coordinator for being the driving force behind most NE initiatives. For Captain (CPT) Alvin Ho, Head of Training and Learning Support in OCS, it is his strong personal belief in NE that underlies his enthusiasm in organising NE activities for his unit.

Stressing that the message of NE is the essence upon which the SAF is built, he said: "NE is something that must be incorporated into all aspects of the SAF. It should be a foundation for the SAF, rather than part of its curriculum."

As NE coordinator for OCS, he has organised various sessions where the top brass such as Chief of Army and CDF share with cadets their thoughts about defence from the management's perspective.

Acknowledging that there is more to do even after emerging as an award finalist, CPT Ho said: "Our work doesn't end here. We need to ensure that our NE initiatives are also implemented by the training wings in OCS, so that officer cadets can use those initiatives to engage their soldiers in the future."

The CDF NE Excellence Award was first launched last year, and the inaugural award was presented to 4th Battalion, Singapore Infantry Regiment.