FORGING TIES THROUGH COMMAND AND STAFF COURSE

In an increasingly interconnected world where threats can come from unexpected sources, close collaboration built around strong professional relationships among regional militaries will become ever more important.

Minister for Defence Teo Chee Hean made this point in his speech at the 39th Command and Staff Course (CSC) graduation ceremony on 10 Sep.

Mr Teo said he was heartened to see 14 officers from 10 countries, including Australia, Brunei, China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Thailand and the United States, among the graduates.

For the first time, an officer from Germany and a female officer from the Royal Brunei Armed Forces have attended the CSC. Lieutenant-Colonel (LTC) Illner Wolfgang Paul, and Major (MAJ) Hajah Wan Shahlimar Binti Haji Suhaili, together with the other international participants, are now part of what Mr Teo described as "a distinguished alumni of 155 friends from 23 countries who have attended the CSC since 1984".

Sharing his experience in the course, LTC Illner said: "This year is really the best year of my military career. It's something I would take home and see if we can develop modules similar to, within the German armed forces."

Despite being fluent in the English language, LTC Illner felt challenged by having to write numerous essays as part of the CSC.

He said: "I usually write military orders which are short and sharp, so writing long papers was rather new to me."

This did not prevent him from successfully completing the course, though.

"I had good support from the college, and after you write the first one, you develop your personal writing style and it gets easier," he said.

One thing he will surely remember, after returning to Germany to assume command of a battalion, is what LTC Illner calls his "Singaporean family".

"I've never had a moment in the last 10 months when I felt alone. I miss my family, but here, I've found a 'Singaporean family'!"

As the first female international officer to graduate from the CSC, MAJ Hajah Wan Shahlimar Binti Haji Suhaili found the course an enriching experience.

"My biggest takeaway has got to be my fighting spirit," she said. "Completing this tough but manageable course has helped me to become stronger, learn a lot about myself, and eventually become a better officer."

The mother of three found the lessons on leadership very helpful. Going through the course has helped her "formalise (her) knowledge about leadership training".

The nine-month CSC is the highest level of formal military education offered in Singapore. It prepares officers for senior command and staff appointments in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF).

Mr Teo presented the 125 graduands of the CSC with their certificates, as well as awards to the three top students, at the Istana. These are MAJ Yeo Soo Bin from the Army, who delivered the valedictory, MAJ Dean Tan from the Air Force, and MAJ Wong Ngian Tong from the Navy.