DEVELOPING LEADERS AT EVERY LEVEL AT COMMAND AND STAFF COURSE

It was one of the most diverse groups of graduands at the Goh Keng Swee Command and Staff College (GKS CSC) Command and Staff Course (CSC) 2014 graduation ceremony, held at the Istana on 30 Oct.

For the first time, three Senior Warrant Officers (SWOs) participated in the CSC (Executive) course. And out of the 207 graduands, there were 15 international officers from 11 countries - including the first from Myanmar - as well as an officer from the Singapore Police Force.

Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen, who officiated at the ceremony, commended the college for "developing exemplary military leaders who care for the country and the men they lead".

He noted that the presence of the international officers and SWOs "adds to the stature of our courses, and participants benefit from hearing their diverse views and experiences".

"(The participation of SWOs) in the CSC (Executive) course recognises the capabilities of our SWOs and the larger responsibilities that we have asked them to shoulder," he added.

SWO Tamizh Kannan, one of the three warrant officer graduands, agreed with Dr Ng. He said that his experience in the Singapore Armed Forces - almost 30 years - was invaluable in helping him during the CSC (Executive).

"(My years in the army) has taught me resilience and has given me a lot of exposure.

"I was able to overcome (the challenges I faced in) this course largely due to all the past learning, training and exposure that the SAF has provided me with all these years."

For Major (MAJ) Chuah Meng Soon, the top Navy graduand for CSC, his family's support was vital in helping him to do well. "One of the largest challenges that I faced was time management. I was taking all six master's credits, so (it was hard trying to) balance the course's requirements and spending time with my family. I am really thankful for their support and understanding."

On one of the biggest takeaways he had from the course, MAJ Chuah said: "In our careers, we are usually being managed by our seniors, or managing our juniors. This course gave me the setting to hone my peer leadership as we were all of the same rank, yet had different areas of expertise which needed to be maximised.

"(I found that) peer leadership was really about understanding the dynamics of your team - building trust and relationships."

Among the 49 National Servicemen (NSmen) graduands was MAJ (NS) Ryan Tan Jian Yuan, who works as Head of Strategy and Enterprise Risk Management at Singapore Mass Rapid Transport. He noted that the level of commitment required from the NSmen was great, saying: "CSC (NS) is a 10-month course, with the residential phase being five and a half weeks. We had many assignments and (often) had to stay late in camp."

"It was not easy, for sure. It takes you out of your comfort zone and puts you into a place where you have to learn and pass certain milestones."

However, MAJ (NS) Tan had no regrets in going for the CSC, and said that it was exactly this environment of high standards which pushed them towards excellence. "Personally, the hardest part was to understand the broader perspectives of those around me. I am an Armour officer by vocation, but through the course I came to realise how the different vocations, and even how the different Services, worked together."

Also present at the graduation ceremony was Chief of Defence Force Lieutenant-General Ng Chee Meng, Chief of Air Force Major-General Hoo Cher Mou, Chief of Navy Rear-Admiral Lai Chung Han, Deputy Commissioner of Police Hoong Wee Teck, and senior commanders of the SAF.