SERVICE AND HONOUR

A new badge is taking pride of place on the uniforms of Naval Military Experts (MEs), all in the name of giving its wearers a stronger sense of identity.

There's nothing quite like that grand feeling of accomplishment when you achieve a certain skill level and are awarded with a badge you can wear proudly. That's what 2,500 Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) MEs felt when they became the first batch to receive the new Naval Military Domain Experts Scheme Vocational Specialisation Badges (MDES VSBs).

The badges were extra significant because they also indicated each ME's vocation. Launched on 29 Nov 2013, the nine badges commissioned represent 14 naval vocations and vocational specialisations.

Each badge comes in three designs - silver, gold and gold with star - to differentiate among the three distinct levels of expertise. The silver is awarded for the completion of the basic courses; the gold, for the intermediate courses; and the gold with star, for the advanced courses.

Recognising expertise

Complementing the MDES's objective of producing MEs with deep specialisation in their respective fields, the VSBs were created to recognise the wearer's level of expertise.

Explaining the genesis of the badges, Master Chief Navy, ME6 Phui Peng Sim, said: "The MDES is all about the recognition of our people's deep expertise.

"All along, the Navy has not had many badges, save for a few skill badges, so the idea of creating a badge to recognise people's expertise came up."

The chairman of the RSN Dress Committee added that the three-badge design will not only track the MEs' Route-of-Advancement, but also give them a clearer sense of purpose in their careers.

ME4-2 Phang Chun Yang, who received the silver Engineers Badge, said: "The VSB gives a visual representation of the progress that I have made through the different stages of my career. In this aspect, it helps to better define the achievements of the MEs."

Silver Underwater Warfare Systems (UW) Badge recipient ME2-1 Yang Haolong echoed his sentiments: "It has become a checkpoint for me that keeps me motivated in working towards my goal: to obtain the highest level, (which is) the gold-with-star."

Creating a sense of belonging

To some MEs, the exclusivity of the badges gave them a stronger sense of belonging to their vocations. ME2-2 Logesh s/o Sockalingam, a gold-with-star UW Badge recipient, saw it as "a means of bonding among all UW vocational specialists in the RSN".

ME6 Phui agreed, adding: "Even though some specialisations have a stronger identity than others, the badges will definitely give everybody a greater sense of belonging and strengthen identity."

Appealing to the new generation

For veterans like ME6 Phui, who joked that he had waited 38 years for his badge, receiving the Navigations Systems gold-with-star badge was a bonus. And the 55-year-old hoped that the VSBs would satisfy the younger generation of Naval MEs who desire recognition and affirmation.

Noting that it was natural to look forward to earning ranks and badges, as well as take pride in wearing them, he believed that the VSBs would help to motivate them further in their careers.

His intentions have certainly not gone to waste. As a part of the intended demographic, 26-year-old ME4-2 Phang said: "It was heartening to see our Naval MDES community get recognised for what they do."

"Even though some specialisations have a stronger identity than others, the badges will definitely give everybody a greater sense of belonging and strengthen identity."
- ME6 Phui Peng Sim on how the VSBs can foster unity among the different vocational specialisations