TOP OF THE CLASS

Shrugging aside stiff challenges from other contenders, these units have come up tops in the SAF Best Unit and Best NS Unit Competition. They are deemed most combat ready, operationally proficient, with excellent administration over the past year. PIONEER finds out what makes the winning units tick.

Believing every man counts - 596 SIR

1WO (Vol) Frederick Seah, RSM of 596 SIR, will never forget the last outfield exercise when a specialist, whose duties are mainly confined to the HQ, eagerly volunteered for front-line battle action.

"He hopped into a scout jeep and went hunting for enemy reconnaissance patrol during a defence battle, and he rounded up more than he could handle!" he recalled.

"Of course, we were all nearby and came to his aid. You should see him, leaving no stone unturned while searching and interrogating them...this is how serious and enthusiastic our men are when it comes to action!"

Spurred on by their battalion war cry of "Your Best, My Best, Our Best!", the men of 596 SIR give it their all whenever they come together for In-Camp Training (ICT) because they know the man beside him is working just as hard.

"It gels the men together and you can see that they are doing their best, right down to the individual soldiers," said Commanding Officer

"They do what is expected of them and they do it really well."

Most of the commanders and men in the battalion have been together since their Full-time National Service (NSF) days in 1999, which explains the special understanding and camaraderie they share.

Still, bagging the Best NS Infantry Unit award for the fourth consecutive year is not without its sacrifices.

1WO (Vol) Seah makes it a point to keep to a weekly physical fitness programme, so he can be fit to take on the "rigours of NS without showing fatigue while leading".

He also has to put aside personal and family time to prepare for administrative, logistical and manpower arrangements way before the ICT begins, so that there will not be any hiccups on the actual day of recall.

"Sacrifices are two-fold, family as well as career. More of career sacrifices for guys, I guess, especially those who are mid-way into their careers," explained LTC (NS) Lee.

"There's always this tension of wanting to contribute towards NS, but also to do well in your career. It is then up to the NSman to juggle the two and a positive attitude towards both sides."

"If you really want to do well in both, you will be able to make things happen," he added.

The men in 596 SIR take NS very seriously because they know that defence is necessary and believe very strongly in the deterrence message.

"In order for deterrence to work, you have to show people that you are serious about what you do, and whenever you go for ICT you mean business," said LTC (NS) Lee.

"You have to show your counterparts that you are up to the mission when you are called upon."

Agreeing wholeheartedly, CPT (NS) Kwan Chang Yew added: "The threats out there today are more real than ever before. The NS system is our way of dealing with those threats, where we are all required to play our part."

Most of the men in 596 SIR have less than two years remaining in their mandatory 10-year NS cycle, with many volunteering to serve the nation after that.

LTC (NS) Lee has taken it upon himself and his command team to ensure that, for the remaining time they have together, everyone will take away an experience that they will not forget.

"My motivation to return to each ICT is to renew the many friendships built along the way, and if you think hard about it, there are actually very few in the world who are given the opportunity to serve their country in a military capacity for two weeks and then return to civilian life, so enjoy the experience while you can!" said CPT (NS) Kwan.

Celebrating commitment and camaraderie - 1st Commando Battalion (1 Cdo Bn)

Would you extend your ORD for about two weeks just so you could participate in an evaluation test with your battalion overseas?

Well, an overwhelming number of NSFs - 89 out of 93 - from 1 Cdo Bn did just that earlier this year.

"It is the first time so many of them volunteered to extend their ORD. The evaluation test is a test of how operationally competent they are as a battalion, so they genuinely wanted to contribute," said Commanding Officer MAJ Poh Boon Hock, who added that the remaining three NSFs could not extend their ORD due to work and study commitments.

"It is a testimony to their dedication and their commitment and it's a reflection of the pride of donning the red beret to do well."

This display of unity made the Best Combat Unit win this year even sweeter for the battalion. They have garnered this top accolade for the fourth consecutive year and an unprecedented record of 21 times in total.

With this winning streak also comes the pressure to deliver every year. MAJ Poh calms his men down by putting things in perspective - that the award is merely the icing atop the cake; what is more crucial is accruing positive experiences for the men.

"We genuinely care for our soldiers...The commanders go all out for the NSFs during their two years of service to achieve numerous positive experiences and defining moments, because it matters. It really does."

2SG Martin Sim related one of his "defining moments" during the evaluation test: "My team suffered heavy simulated casualties from unexpected circumstances and was left with about five people, but we persevered and managed to accomplish the mission."

"You could see the fighting spirit we have and the perseverance, as we wanted to finish and do well in the mission."

For 2LT Tan Dengzhi, the strong sense of esprit de corps is what he treasures in the battalion.

"Once, during training, I got punished and ended up doing push-ups in the rain," he recalled. "The moment I got down, I saw my whole detachment coming to join me."

He added: "One person gets punished, but the whole team goes down and supports one another. This is very evident in day-to-day activities, so you can imagine when we are being put to the test how much we are willing to sacrifice for one another."

The Commandos are trained to conduct specialised operations, striking behind enemy lines using airborne landings, helicopter assaults and sea landings. They are also experts in infiltration and reconnaissance operations.

Part of the team, part of the family - 140 Squadron

Ex Hotshot is the annual RSAF competition for gunnery and bombing. It is a key highlight of the year, where fighter squadrons go up against each other to see who can launch faster and more accurate strikes.

Although 140 SQN did not come up tops in the competition this year, Commanding Officer LTC Vincent Leong saw much to be happy about.

"You could see the people on the ground giving their full support, putting in the extra hours to make things work, to make sure that the jets are serviceable, supporting and encouraging each other to achieve the Best Hotshot Squadron title," he said.

"Yes, people were demoralised when we did not win it, but you could see everybody rallying behind each other to ensure that not attaining this title did not affect how the squadron runs or operates on a day-to-day basis."

Members of the squadron unanimously feel that such strong teamwork is what gave them the edge in clinching their eleventh Best Fighter Squadron award this year - an achievement unsurpassed by any other fighter squadron.

"There is nothing unique about us, but just everybody playing their part in the squadron," said pilot

"I feel like I'm not only part of a team but also part of a family," he added. "That makes working the extra mile, the extra hour, enjoyable."

The squadron participated in two major detachments during the work year to Korat, Thailand, and received accolades from the United States Air Force (USAF) and Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) for their excellent performance in Ex Cope Tiger 07.

LTC Leong believes that there are no shortcuts to success and that the squadron subscribes to three simple values: professionalism, a sense of belonging and mutual respect.

He explained: "We believe a lot in mutual respect. So as long as everybody feels part of the squadron, knowing that they are being respected for what they do and that it is reciprocated, things will move on."

LTC Leong is aware it will be challenging to retain the title as Best Fighter Squadron since the aggregate point different between the squadrons is "minimal" every year and everybody will be working hard towards it.

However, he pledged that the squadron will continue to press on with what they have been doing, and believing in, to win the title again.

Based at Tengah Air Base, 140 SQN is home to the F-16C/D, a lightweight, all-weather multi-role fighter with day and night capability.

With an enhanced avionics suite and modern weapon systems, the F-16C/D remains a dominant and deterrent force capable of engaging and countering a wide spectrum of threats, for the defence of Singapore.

Doing their best in work and play - RSS Vengeance

Whether it is day-to-day maintenance of the ship's equipment or exercising alongside foreign naval ships, the crew on board RSS Vengeance believes in putting in maximum effort to attain the best results.

"All of us have this belief that whatever we do, we do our best and it always comes from our hearts," said 1WO Leow Choon Kwang, Coxswain of the 62-metre-long missile corvette.

"We don't work towards winning awards, because to us, what is more important is that all the crew are happy on board and able to fulfill all missions given to the ship, regardless of however minute the task is."

For this relentless pursuit of excellence, RSS Vengeance has won the Best Ship Award for the second year running and third time overall in the Republic of Singapore Navy's (RSN) Best Ship Competition.

It has been a hectic year for RSS Vengeance, as they participated in many exercises, such as the Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA) exercise, and operations with bilateral partners.

Commanding Officer LTC Lew Chuen Hong (previously MAJ) credited his diligent crew of officers and specialists for the award, and said the crew keeps a good balance of work and play.

"For all exercises we do our best, do it well and basically fly the flag, and that what gels the team together," he told PIONEER.

"At the same time, after everything is over, we go out to have fun - organise a BBQ; enjoy each other's company as friends, not just colleagues."

Another factor that works to their advantage is the strong sense of cohesion among the RSS Vengeance servicemen.

LTC Lew recalled the last Navy Sprint event, where almost 20 of his crew signed up to take part in the mini-biathlon on their own accord. On the actual day of the competition, the rest of the crew turned up to support their shipmates - on a weekend morning at the East Coast, no less.

"The whole ship's crew were there not because they were forced to, but because they wanted to," said LTC Lew. "That really shows how much RSS Vengeance is like a family."

As to whether he feels the pressure to retain the Best Ship award in the coming year, LTC Lew acknowledged that competition would be stiff, but that RSS Vengeance would simply continue in the same vein - to strive for excellence in all it does.

"As long as we focus on what's important, like the crew's welfare and good training, we don't really need to worry about the Best Ship competition because if you really do well, it will appear on its own!" he quipped.

The ship was also conferred the People Excellence award, which recognises ships that have placed emphasis on professional training, as well as on overall development of staff that goes beyond their immediate job scopes.

Commissioned on 25 May 1991, RSS Vengeance is built for multi-dimensional warfare including air, surface, and subsurface missions.

A key member of the RSN's strike arm, its main role is to ensure Singapore's seaward defence and protection of the vital sea lines of communication.