GIVING THEIR EXPERTISE TO THE NATION

He was working as a practising engineer in the private sector when his wife chanced upon the advertisement. The Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) was looking for experts in unmanned systems and it seemed a perfect fit for Military Expert (ME) 5 Chew Tiau Siong.

"I felt that I could contribute in terms of knowledge, especially the methodology in establishing and building of systems for unmanned technologies as I had been doing that for the past decade," said the 40-year-old.

With that, ME5 Chew took the plunge and signed on to the Military Domain Experts Scheme (MDES). He was among the 81 servicemen and servicewomen appointed as senior MEs at SAFTI Military Institute on 7 Dec.

ME5 Chew's determination was evident in his whopping weight loss of 13kg before he signed on. He will go on to become a Naval Warfare Systems Engineer in Tuas Naval Base.

Fellow graduands ME4A Foo Inn Peng and younger twin ME4A Foo Inn Funn had always been glued to air crash investigations on the National Geographic Channel. This sparked their interest in aircraft and they signed on as Air Force Engineers (AFEs) with the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) right after their O levels.

The younger ME4A Foo said: "We thought it would be an interesting job, very different from what ladies would (normally) choose, so we decided to give it a shot."

They signed on under the joint polytechnic scheme and clinched scholarships to study a Diploma in Aerospace Electronics at the Singapore Polytechnic and, subsequently, a Masters in Engineering (Avionics) in the University of York in the United Kingdom.

Following their appointment as Senior MEs, the younger ME4A Foo will be posted to 7 Air Engineering Logistics Group to work on the F-15SGs while her sister will join the Air Engineering Logistics Department to work on strategic planning for AFEs.

At the appointment ceremony, Senior Minister of State for Defence Dr Mohamad Maliki Bin Osman highlighted the important role that the senior MEs played in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF).

"As Singapore faces more complex security challenges, we must constantly be forward-looking and innovative to ensure that the SAF is always operationally-ready.

"We depend on you, the military experts, to push the operational and technological boundaries of your special domains, while working with each other, the rest of the Ministry of Defence and the SAF, as well as commercial partners, to develop and deliver solutions that help us be better and sharper."

Dr Maliki also urged the new appointees to inspire and motivate their men to do their best for the nation, adding: "It is only with a strong SAF behind us that the people of Singapore can continue to live in a safe and secure home, and enjoy peace and prosperity in an uncertain world."

His words were not lost on ME4A (NS) Eugene Wong. The university lecturer at Newcastle University signed on as an Army Engineer (Ammo) under the Expertise Conversion Scheme after the completion of his Operationally-Ready National Service (ORNS) cycle.

The voluntary scheme allows eligible Operationally-Ready National Servicemen (NSmen) to convert to MEs and provides more opportunities for those with deep expertise to continue contributing to the nation's defence.

The 38-year-old Mechanical Engineering lecturer shared that throughout his ORNS cycle, he worked very closely with his NS unit and helped them with various engineering-related projects. His decision and enthusiasm for the SAF also inspired some of his students to join the MDES.

When asked if there was an endpoint to his contributions, ME4A Wong, who was awarded NSman of the Year in 2015, said: "I will want to lend my expertise to the SAF for as long as I can."

The ceremony was also attended by Chief of Navy Rear-Admiral Lai Chung Han, senior SAF officers, as well as family and friends of the graduates.