ALL EYES ON NDP 2008'S MAN OF THE HOUR

Come 9 Aug, all eyes will be fixed on one man, Lieutenant-Colonel (LTC) Mark Teo, the key figure of this year's National Day Parade (NDP).

Since his enlistment in 1989, LTC Teo has held various appointments, and has seen many different sides of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF). Today he is a branch head in the Ministry of Defence.

None of this can be compared to his appointment as Parade Commander of NDP 2008, a position which he finds has its fair share of challenges and rewards.

As Parade Commander, LTC Teo has to give accurate and timely commands to the marching contingents to ensure the parade goes according to plan. In the heat of the moment, with tens of thousands of spectators and cameras trained on him, he has to keep a level head while leading the parade.

"I cannot even begin to explain the intensity of such an experience it s something you have to go through to appreciate," he said.

"The challenge to perform under such conditions can only be mitigated through comprehensive training of both the mind and body. Something the SAF has taught us well to achieve for our military demands are very closely linked to the kind of pressure I experience as a Parade Commander," he added.

As he had served as the reserve Parade Commander last year, LTC Teo is no stranger to this annual event.

In his opinion, the SAF has done an excellent job organising all the NDPs thus far, because "we have people with the requisite training, and resources to mobilise across government and civilian agencies, to come together as one and execute the event to military precision".

For now, LTC Teo is keeping himself focused on the goal: to be a good parade commander and ensure that NDP 2008 proceeds smoothly. To this end, he has been practising so often at home that now his three-year-old daughter can recite some of the commands!