WINNING THEIR SPURS - SAF BEST UNITS 2008

Posting top performances all year round, the winning units of this year's SAF Best Unit and Best NS Unit Competition are a cut above the rest in combat readiness, operation excellence and administrative efficiency. PIONEER speaks to some of the units on the honour roll and unravels what it takes to be the cream of the crop.

Red berets, big hearts -
1st Commando Battalion

When CPL Joshua Fajardo William was posted to the elite unit of the SAF for his National Service, he felt the pressure of living up to the impressive reputation of the Commandos.

With 21 Best Combat Unit titles under its belt, 1 Cdo Bn has held an unsurpassed record since the inauguration of the SAF Best Unit Competition.

However, as time wore on, CPL William found that it was more about developing themselves to their fullest potential rather than pursuing the next title.

"For us, it's not about clinching the title, but more of proving to ourselves that we are 'elite' in our own way, because we all come from different walks of life," he explained.

"There is a certain character in ourselves that we actually have to develop. It instils in us ethics, esprit de corps and camaraderie with our brothers."

As Commanding Officer, LTC Edwin Goh put it, the Commandos don't "wake up every morning thinking about how to win the Best Combat Unit".

"We wake up every morning thinking about how to be the best that we can be, how we can come up with new initiatives to better ourselves in everything we do," he said.

"And when you do everything to the best of your ability, being champion comes inevitably."

Champions they certainly are, with 1 Cdo Bn nabbing the Best Combat Unit award for the fifth consecutive time - an unprecedented 22 times in total.

The battalion consists mainly of NSFs who are meticulously selected and specially trained to be experts in their vocational domain. As the SAF's elite force, the Commandos undergo one of the toughest training regimes.

"Going through all this challenging training allows the men to bond, to build camaraderie... that's when you really gel with each other," explained LTC Goh.

"You ensure that the person beside you is always the one taking care of you. You ensure that even when you fall, there's always someone behind you holding on to you. I think that s the kind of spirit that we are always trying to grow in the Commandos."

Commandos are trained to strike behind enemy lines through airborne landings, helicopter insertions and sea landings. They are also experts in infiltration and reconnaissance operations.

However, their true strength lies in their dedication, esprit de corps, fierce fighting spirit and strong determination to strive for excellence.
"I think the core thing that makes us special is our people," said LTC Goh. "You can have all the equipment you want, but without the right people, it is very difficult to be a special force unit."

By putting people first, the unit has made it a point to engage the families of the troops, to allow them to understand and to appreciate the kind of training that Commandos go through.

One of their recent initiatives was to create a collage of videos featuring encouragement from the servicemen's families. The video was then screened to the men who were training overseas as a surprise.

"It was emotional when they saw how much their parents were supporting them," said LTC Goh.

"Now when they train, they know they are not only doing it out of duty to the country, but also to their family."

For CPL William, receiving his red beret will mean that his training wing has made him a soldier.

"When we march out there, people will see that the SAF has turned us from boys to men," he said, with a hint of pride.

"We are more mature, more disciplined and we care more about others."

Shared vision, united goal - 149 Squadron

When LTC Foo Yang Ge took over as Commanding Officer of 149 SQN in November 2006, he made it a point to sit down with his men and discuss the vision for the squadron.

They set their sights on the top prize, the Best Fighter Squadron, and in less than two years, they have achieved their goal.

"We have been working very hard to achieve this for the past two years and I think all of us are very satisfied and honoured," said LTC Foo. "Winning Best Hotshot Squadron last year motivated us to to continue with the hard work."

Exercise Hotshot is an annual competition for Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) fighter squadrons, whose operational readiness, firepower accuracy and logistical preparations are assessed.

Pilot CPT Wong Yu Zhou recalled how everyone in the squadron took their tasks seriously - from regulars to NSFs.

"The logistics guys actually stayed back during weekends and worked extra hours during weekdays. The aircrew also went through thorough briefings and analysed how to get better scores. We had daily debriefs and everyone would share the lessons learnt and difficulties faced."

"That's one of the many moments when I saw the cohesiveness that we have," he added.

According to Principal Logistic Cell Controller 2WO Mageswaran, cohesiveness between the ground crew and the men in the air is crucial for any operational squadron.

"Ultimately, the lives of the pilots are in our hands. If we don't give them a good, serviceable aircraft, they can't carry out the mission. And if the mission fails, we fail and the organisation fails," he said.

This is the fifth time the squadron has won the Best Fighter Squadron award, their previous wins being in 1987, 1988, 2002 and 2004.

Based at Paya Lebar Air Base, 149 Squadron was inaugurated on 1 June 1985. The squadron initially operated the supersonic F-5E/F fighter aircraft, but it has been operating the improved F-5S/T fighter aircraft since the early 1990s.

Equipped with state-of-the-art avionics, the aircraft can carry out Air-to Air and Air-to-Ground missions.
In the past year, the Squadron has participated actively in major multilateral exercises such as Exercise Bersama Shield and Bersama Lima under the ambit of the Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA), and Exercise Cope Tiger with the US and Thailand air forces.

The Shikra is 149 Squadron's adopted mascot. Swift and fearless, the small yet aggressive falcon attacks its prey with lightning speed and deadly strikes.

The Squadron's motto, 'Steadfast', parallels the Shikra's aggressive nature and strong fighting spirit, which the men and women of 149 Squadron espouse in their daily work.

"It is part of us, when we do things the first time and every time, we want to do it to the best of our abilities," said CPT Wong.

"Be it exercises, ground audits or personal briefings, we want to execute them well from start to end. We don't see this merely as work, we see it as a profession in which we put in all our best."

He added: "Coming to work every day and seeing everyone putting in so much hard work and effort makes me proud to be part of this family."

Attaining the three 'C's - RSS Formidable

Sailors in Team Formidable share a common vision - to be the best that they can be. To realise this vision, the crew strive to reach for the three 'C's - to be capable, committed and cohesive.

To be capable means continuously striving for mission excellence and mission success.

"With every task that is given to us, the crew of Formidable will do their utmost to make sure that we achieve mission success for the Navy, for the SAF, and for the country," explained Commanding Officer, LTC Frederick Chew (right).

"In our business, out at sea and war time, there is no place for finishing second."

The other quality that shines through on the RSS Formidable is commitment. The crew has shown time and again that it is highly committed to staying on course and getting the job done.

"The crew is very committed to the Navy, to the SAF, to the country, and the ethos of others before self; of putting aside personal setbacks and personal discouragements to rise to the occasion; and making sure that this ship delivers on its tasks, no matter how tough the conditions may be," said LTC Chew.

One of those who has played his part for Team Formidable is CPL Jeremy Ong, an NSF serving as a naval gunner on board the ship.

It has been a challenging and occasionally "stressful" time as an NSF working on one of the most advanced platforms of the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN), but it has been an enjoyable learning journey for CPL Ong.

There are times when I have to bear quite heavy responsibilities and challenges, but my seniors have given me a lot of guidance," he said.
"I have also seen the dedication and devotion of the ship s crew. Sometimes, we work till very late at night just to prepare the ship and to make sure that it is operational when we go out for exercises at sea."

So he was really proud when the ship won the award, and is glad that everyone's combined efforts paid off, and that they are now recognised as the "best ship in the Navy".

CPL Ong was quick to add that what motivates him to excel is not the accolades, but the thought that he is keeping his family safe.

"I know that if I do my best, and I am able to defend my country well, it will pay off, because when I go home, I can see my friends and my parents all safe and sound," he said with a contented smile.

LTC Chew added that the Formidable is the most cohesive ship he has ever served on. There is a strong emphasis on team bonding and team values.

"Everyone looks at each other as partners and team players, and superiors try to be coaches to their subordinates and not taskmasters, to help bring out the best in them," he added.

"We don't focus on having individual stars or champions. What is more important is that we build a strong team culture and a champion team."

The three 'C's aptly sum up the operating ethos of RSS Formidable, the first stealth frigate of its class to be operationalised, and now, the first frigate to win the Best Ship Award for 2008.

The Formidable-class frigates are built for multidimensional warfare in the air, surface, and sub-surface domains, and play a key role in the operationalisation of the 3rd Generation SAF.

As one of the principal strike combatants in the RSN, RSS Formidable's main role is to ensure Singapore's seaward defence and protection of its vital sea lines of communication.

Since its commissioning on 5 May 2007, the Formidable has made significant contributions to the RSN's 3rd Generation transformation journey.
True to its motto of "Triumphant at Sea", it has excelled in numerous operations and exercises, including those with foreign counterparts.

Achievements to date include the successful firing of its Harpoon missile last year, and participation in major exercises such as the Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) with the United States Navy, as well as Exercise Malabar 2007, a multilateral exercise conducted in the Indian Ocean.

Band of brothers - 31st Forward Combat Service Support Battalion (31 FCSSB)

This year marks the last In-Camp Training (ICT) for SSG (NS) Sukhwinder Singh, the Regimental Sergeant Major of 31 FCSSB, but he voluntarily signed on for another three years - so that he can sustain the family spirit and bonds forged in the unit.

"When your bonds are so strong, you know that when you leave, you leave not just the unit, but this bunch of guys as well," he said.

"This says a lot about what a great unit this is, the guys, the motivation and the tremendous leadership."

This camaraderie and team spirit among the men enabled them to clinch the Best NS Combat Service Support (CSS) Unit title for the second consecutive year.

Transport operator LCP (NS) Mohd Rizal Bin Yahya likens ICT to "one big family having an outing".

He told PIONEER: "Training is very fun, not like what people say, how it is very hectic and stuff like that. It all starts from ourselves, how we want to do it."

The servicemen, together with their families, regularly meet up for gatherings, and just before an ICT stint, they get together to discuss the preparation work that needs to be done.

Commanding Officer LTC (NS) (Dr) Gerard Tan, who has been leading the unit since its inception in 2004, pointed out the simple reason behind the close-knit bonds among the men.

"People come back because of each other, not because they are served the SAF 100A call-up notice," he said.

"If you can foster that kind of cohesion, that kind of team spirit, that sort of wanting to be part of the gang, people will come back automatically. This is one of the key reasons why men enjoy coming back to serve NS."

On his part, LTC (NS) (Dr) Tan endeavours to give his men a purpose and to empower them.

"I try to encourage them by telling then that when they are in a military setting, they are all leaders. They don't need to have 'stars', 'crabs' or stripes to become a leader," he said.

"To be a leader, all you actually need to do is raise your hand. By speaking out and making sense, people will follow you."

Organised as a multifunctional CSS battalion, 31 FCSSB provides responsive and direct transport, medical and maintenance support to front-line forces.

The servicemen constantly deliver efficient combat support, and have proven their ability to overcome various logistical challenges encountered during training and brigade-level exercises.

In just four years, they have participated in several overseas exercises, such as Exercise Wallaby, and achieved high standards of proficiency and professionalism in their duties.

"Even though our role is not a normal active role, it is important because we are at the front-line. Whenever we are called up, we will be doing a lot of things to support the active guys who will be out in the field," said SSG (NS) Singh.

Added LTC (NS) (Dr) Tan:"National Service is meaningful as it is a duty to our nation and family. You never know when we will be called upon. We need people to help the nation. It is part of the duty of every NSman."