Dear All,
An essay on lessons learned from the SAF Maid saga is now being compiled. This piece will be out soon.
I am grateful to the individuals who provided advice and the people who shared their professional knowledge during the image forensics phase. This includes:
* people who advised which batches of NSFs have received the pixellated fullpacks,
* the plant expert who pointed out the grass cuttings in the original image, noted the interval between grass trimmings in the Bedok Rise area and compared plant growth in two images to help date the original images,
* the Review team whose role is to play devil's advocate,
* current and former media friends/contacts,
* those who helped with the ground recce and ACI.
Had the NSF not come forward, we would have rolled out active searches in the estate. I am confident we would have located his household successfully.
I have learned much from this episode. For sure, there are areas in which we can improve upon. We have a group of passionate netizens and a resource team whose subject matter expertise in land, sea and air domains is something I value highly and cherish. One regret - and this is something I have told some of you before - is that there will probably never be an occasion when the resource team will be able to/would want to meet at the same time.
We follow defence matters under unique circumstances and the need to protect names does not diminish my respect for all of you.
I thank you all.
Best Regards,
David Boey
Friday, April 8, 2011
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Maid for the Army: Soldier steps forward to admit actions
Remorseful soldier counselled: Mindef
The Straits Times Forum Page
5 April 2011
THE Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) has completed its investigation into the recent case of a serviceman who was photographed with his domestic helper carrying his field pack ('Deafening silence in army backpack saga' by Mr Patrick Tan; last Saturday).
The serviceman concerned has identified himself to his commander.
He was a recruit undergoing the Physical Training Preparatory phase prior to the Basic Military Training phase.
The recruit is remorseful for his actions and realises that it was wrong for him to have allowed this.
He has been counselled and continues his training. The SAF has reminded all servicemen to be mindful of their conduct in public.
Colonel Desmond Tan
Director, Public Affairs
Ministry of Defence
The Straits Times Forum Page
5 April 2011
THE Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) has completed its investigation into the recent case of a serviceman who was photographed with his domestic helper carrying his field pack ('Deafening silence in army backpack saga' by Mr Patrick Tan; last Saturday).
The serviceman concerned has identified himself to his commander.
He was a recruit undergoing the Physical Training Preparatory phase prior to the Basic Military Training phase.
The recruit is remorseful for his actions and realises that it was wrong for him to have allowed this.
He has been counselled and continues his training. The SAF has reminded all servicemen to be mindful of their conduct in public.
Colonel Desmond Tan
Director, Public Affairs
Ministry of Defence
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Maid for Our Army: Manhunt now on for individuals in the SAF Maid story
Plain clothes officers believed to be from the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) combed a housing estate in Bedok on Saturday (2 April'11) for the individuals in the infamous picture of a maid carrying a fullpack - but failed to find their targets.
The officers gathered along Bedok Rise, which is near the Tanah Merah MRT station, for a quick debrief yesterday evening and were observed by this blogger. The group stood out in the quiet estate because I have seen police surveillance teams in action and somehow sensed the group did not fit in with the streetscape.
One officer was overheard updating an unnamed party via mobilephone that there were x targets for the day and the maid at one premises was not in.
What gave the game away was an A4 size colour photocopy of two pictures in a local newspaper story that compared the real picture with a fake image of the anonymous soldier, believed to be a full-time National Serviceman (NSF), and a woman whom netizens believe is his domestic helper. Pictures in the 90C story were enlarged and printed in portrait format, possibly to serve as a handy reference for the officers. (By uncanny coincidence, I used the same picture as reference but saved an image of the newspaper article on my mobilephone. I felt it was more discrete as observers would think I was checking my SMS messages whenever I looked at the image on the phone.)
It was surreal being at the spot where the infamous images were taken and the sense of frustration stemmed from not knowing where the soldier was. A sense of being almost within reach, yet not quite there. That said, I thank friends of this blog for all the tipoffs. :-)
The pictures caused intense debate in Singapore this past week as they showed how one soldier can sully the SAF's image by displaying behaviour which Singaporeans viewed as unsoldierly.
As of late Saturday evening, Senang Diri believes the Singaporean Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) and SAF investigators had yet to verify the identities of the two individuals in the picture. The numberplates of the private cars used by the suspected stakeout teams were noted by this blogger.
It is interesting to note that the location of the stakeout is literally round the corner from the home of another infamous NSF, Dave Teo, who ran away from camp with his SAR-21 assault rifle and some bullets in 2007. The Bedok South point block flat which he shared with his grandmother and cousins can be seen from the footpath along which MINDEF/SAF's latest bugbear was photographed. Dave Teo was tracked down and arrested by police officers from the crack Special Tactics and Rescue (STAR) unit.
Manhunts in densely-populated Singapore are difficult to execute.
In March 2004, hundreds of SAF soldiers and Singapore Police Force officers were deployed to Pulau Tekong (Singapore's largest offshore island) to hunt down three suspected robbers who landed on the island from Malaysia's Johor state. The fugitives were eventually found by Gurkha police officers.
In February 2008, terror suspect Mas Selamat Kastari walked out of a high security detention centre. He was apprehended by Malaysian police in Johor in April the following year.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Maid the news: The online media storm from the infamous image of the S'pore Army boy tailed by a woman carrying a fullpack
A letter published in The Straits Times Forum Page today reveals more instances of pampered Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) national servicemen.
Look at these extracts from the letter by Oliver Michael, who claims to be a full-time NSman instructor.
"Even routine events reveal this mollycoddling attitude, such as when parents fetch their recruit son: it is not the boy, but the maid, who packs the recruit's belongings into the boot of the car."
"Training facilities are treated like secondary schools with parents hounding instructors over trivial issues. Full-time national servicemen (NSFs) argue with instructors, going so far as to threaten to complain to their Member of Parliament over minor matters."
And here's a creative spin at how the Singaporean Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) and SAF could have been spared the online media storm. :-)
Read Oliver Michael's full letter below.
NS does not make men, parents do
Source: The Straits Times Forum
30 March, 2011
By Oliver Michael
AS A Singaporean currently doing my national service as an instructor, I must say the baptism of fire that is national service is not enough to change boys into men ('He's in the army... but she has the backpack'; Monday).
National service has long been associated with making men out of boys. However, parents should be aware that they too play a key role in the grooming of boys into men.
As an instructor, I have come across NS recruits mollycoddled by their parents. For example, parents call up to complain about the harsh training despite the fact that training is gentler now compared to years before.
Even routine events reveal this mollycoddling attitude, such as when parents fetch their recruit son: it is not the boy, but the maid, who packs the recruit's belongings into the boot of the car.
While it is understandable for parents to be concerned about the well-being of their son, too much of it would affect the boy negatively. It would lead to a situation where he is unwilling to step outside of his comfort zone and face the real world.
Training facilities are treated like secondary schools with parents hounding instructors over trivial issues. Full-time national servicemen (NSFs) argue with instructors, going so far as to threaten to complain to their Member of Parliament over minor matters.
These attitudes, and indeed those such as letting one's maid carry one's field pack, become second nature only if one's parents allow it. These attitudes take time to form and, unfortunately, do so in the adolescent years.
Parents should refine their balance of welfare and discipline, of care and coddling, lest they distort the definition of NSFs, and men in general.
Look at these extracts from the letter by Oliver Michael, who claims to be a full-time NSman instructor.
"Even routine events reveal this mollycoddling attitude, such as when parents fetch their recruit son: it is not the boy, but the maid, who packs the recruit's belongings into the boot of the car."
"Training facilities are treated like secondary schools with parents hounding instructors over trivial issues. Full-time national servicemen (NSFs) argue with instructors, going so far as to threaten to complain to their Member of Parliament over minor matters."
And here's a creative spin at how the Singaporean Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) and SAF could have been spared the online media storm. :-)
Read Oliver Michael's full letter below.
NS does not make men, parents do
Source: The Straits Times Forum
30 March, 2011
By Oliver Michael
AS A Singaporean currently doing my national service as an instructor, I must say the baptism of fire that is national service is not enough to change boys into men ('He's in the army... but she has the backpack'; Monday).
National service has long been associated with making men out of boys. However, parents should be aware that they too play a key role in the grooming of boys into men.
As an instructor, I have come across NS recruits mollycoddled by their parents. For example, parents call up to complain about the harsh training despite the fact that training is gentler now compared to years before.
Even routine events reveal this mollycoddling attitude, such as when parents fetch their recruit son: it is not the boy, but the maid, who packs the recruit's belongings into the boot of the car.
While it is understandable for parents to be concerned about the well-being of their son, too much of it would affect the boy negatively. It would lead to a situation where he is unwilling to step outside of his comfort zone and face the real world.
Training facilities are treated like secondary schools with parents hounding instructors over trivial issues. Full-time national servicemen (NSFs) argue with instructors, going so far as to threaten to complain to their Member of Parliament over minor matters.
These attitudes, and indeed those such as letting one's maid carry one's field pack, become second nature only if one's parents allow it. These attitudes take time to form and, unfortunately, do so in the adolescent years.
Parents should refine their balance of welfare and discipline, of care and coddling, lest they distort the definition of NSFs, and men in general.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Singapore's defence burden - Something no maid can carry
Unless you are Prince William, a walk home from camp doesn’t count as a newsworthy event.
For an unknown Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) soldier, his journey home made the news after the image you see above went viral and ignited debate in Singapore over the mettle of the city state’s citizen soldiers.
This single image has the potential to become iconic. When it does so, it will extract a price from the ongoing efforts by the Singaporean Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) and SAF to shore up public support for, and confidence in, the Lion City’s armed forces. Swift and effective remedial action is critical by MINDEF/SAF spin doctors, but more on this later.
The picture of an SAF serviceman, presumably a full-time National Serviceman (NSF), trailed by what one assumes is his domestic helper (or unloved gf?) sums up what the SAF’s detractors have long argued and what local authorities have taken pains to correct – that Singapore’s national servicemen are soft city boys. Spoilt softies, pampered by mummy and daddy, fussed over by a domestic helper, unfit for battle, potential liabilities in combat clearly not up to the mark for the rigours of warfare. You don’t need a picture caption to figure this out, do you?
Few SAF images have stirred emotions among Singaporeans as much as this image because it shows what many have suspected and are too polite to say.
Even if the image was posed - as some establishment and MINDEF/SAF types might vainly argue - the strong sentiments it has triggered is a red flag that highlights the fragility of the SAF’s image as a ready, relevant and decisive fighting force. In my opinion, all it takes now is a training incident right smack in this unfolding hullabaloo for Singaporeans to once again question if NSFs can really do the job.
Singaporeans should be grateful that their government does not trust its citizen soldiers enough to allow them to carry their personal firearms home, just as NSmen in places like Israel and Switzerland routinely do. Nothing is more frightful than an image of a domestic helper, laden with war pack and SAR-21 5.56mm assault rifle, yomping resolutely behind her young master with Hobbit-like determination.
Security obsessed Singaporean authorities would probably fret about maids hatching a Spartacus-like rebellion if their young charges outsourced the carriage of their SAF paraphernalia to their paid labour.
On and offline, Singaporeans have reacted to this incident the usual way. Many have done so by calling for the Government to step in to punish the soldier.
Singapore already has a reputation as a “fine” city because you can be arrested and slapped with a monetary penalty (i.e. a fine) for picking flowers in a public park, for gathering in groups of more than five (deemed illegal assembly) and numerous other misdemeanors. It would be most unfortunate if the hauling of Singapore Army full packs is also deemed a felony. You see, what good is a paper deterrent unless it can be enforced? And by whom? Legions of plain clothes sleuths from Military Police Command who, in this day and age of post 9/11 heightened vigilance, probably have a gadzillion better things to do than spot, arrest and fine the NSF-porter combo?
And where would MINDEF Legal Services draw the line? If maids cannot help their masters carry SAF kit, would it also be illegal for maids to also help NSmen launder their uniforms, polish their boots? That said, I am waiting for the first SAF officer stupid enough to allow his maid to hand wash his MID numberplate staff car in public. I am sure netizens will not disappoint and will know how to capture that Kodak moment, when it happens.
In the longer term, it would be far better for Singaporean society to proactively police itself by drawing up social norms for citizen soldiers. Singaporeans have themselves to blame if the image of their Army takes a knock should it become socially acceptable for SAF servicemen to walk around with baggage porters in tow. Society needs to do some soul-searching whether or not such acts should be condoned.
Singaporeans, like most Asians, hate losing face. If society frowns on such behavior and corrects errant soldiers harshly in public, most self-respecting males would (one would hope) know the proper thing to do. (As an aside, we now see more examples of commuters who believe that the price of their bus/train ticket entitles them to a seat for their bum and assorted shopping bags. In most cases, commuters would rather just keep mum, preferring a non-confrontational approach than causing a ruckus on the bus/train and complaining later there are not enough seats.)
Lessons for DIMs
Whether or not the image is real or staged, it shows the impact that a single NSF can have on the image of Southeast Asia’s best-equipped armed forces. The unknown soldier is the strategic corporal personified, the warfighter at the bottom of the pecking order of rank-and-file who exerts an influence far out of proportion to his rank’s status.
Defence information managers at MINDEF/SAF walked this road before. In September 2007, NSF Corporal Dave Teo Ming fled his camp with his SAR-21 rifle and ammunition while on guard duty. His night time escape led to an island-wide manhunt and gave him more media coverage than the interview with then Chief of Army, Major-General Neo Kian Hong (now Chief of Defence Force) just a week before. Do your own informal street poll and you will find that the number of people who remember the Dave Teo incident will outstrip the number of people who remember the former COA’s talking points on the Third Generation SAF.
The job of shaping public perceptions goes beyond convincing Singaporeans that their men in green won’t turn yellow before their first taste of battle. This is because the SAF's value as a deterrent against military aggression will be compromised if
MINDEF/SAF is likely to argue that the soldier is an aberration, an atypical example of NSFs who are fully committed to defending their country. A survey of sorts could be used to prop up this assertion. They could trot out NSmen who extended their compulsory NS stint of two years or Operationally Ready NS duty who ran the extra mile for the country (some do so for personal reasons, like getting a free trip to the United States to join a live-fire exercise). Oodles of information of the SAF’s successes in HADR ops and PSOs could be bandied about, as if these missions are leading indicators to the SAF’s performance in a real war (they are not). Some big wig will make a snide comment or two on the picture and then hope the storm will pass.
Shouldering the Defence Burden
Between convincing Singaporeans the SAF is up to the mark and convincing
It is critical that MINDEF/SAF not drop the ball on this issue because any hot war scenario is likely to be preceded by a period of tension (POT) during which psychological games will be used to unnerve the Lion City’s citizen soldiers.
As stated in an earlier post, the SAF is more vulnerable than an all-regular force during a POT because its citizen soldiers must be convinced to 1) mobilize 2) equip for operations 3) deploy 4) fight. During peacetime, NSmen may reason (correctly) that it is more worthwhile reporting for a mobex than paying a fine or spending time in jail.
In a hot war scenario or during a situation when a clash of arms seems more than likely, the NSman’s sense of self-preservation may see him fall out at any of the four stages mentioned above.
Remember too that the numerical superiority of the SAF means nothing if the SAF cannot mobilize its full strength because scions of well off families are flown overseas during a POT and thus escape any call up. Once this flight to safety begins and once NS heartlanders see its end result from thinned-out ranks of mobilized units primed for war, it is only a matter of time before a hollowed out Army collapses in the face of a determined opponent.
The will to fight is something the "hearts and minds" campaign will seek to poison and undermine during a POT before the bullets fly.
This defence burden is one that only Singaporeans can carry - because no maid in the world will carry this burden for you.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Singapore Army's leadership renewal
If you get the chance to visit the ante rooms to the offices of Singapore's air and naval chiefs, look at the portraits of their predecessors hanging on the walls.
Long before foreign talent became a buzzword in the city state, Singapore's defence establishment had shown its readiness to cast its net wide for its military leaders. Singapore's fledgling air arm was led by a Taiwanese colonel in its early years after officers from Britain's Royal Air Force laid the groundwork. A New Zealander led the forerunner to the Republic of Singapore Navy.
After 45 years of independence, the Singaporean Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) and Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) have many local options for leadership positions. It thus has little need to look abroad for the unconventional - to put it nicely - move of having a foreigner lead a military Service. (That said, the SAF still relies on consultants from a certain foreign country for their military expertise. And let's leave the unique role of the Singapore Police Force Gurkha Contingent out of the picture... if not the argument gets somewhat convulated.)
Last Friday's leadership transition in the Singapore Army, after a retired general was brought back to its top post, shows how far the army has grown as a national institution.
Every SAF Service practices a policy of training-up-training, where a second and even third in line is spotted and groomed to take command. It is a prudent move for a professional of arms. During operations, the command structure could be left in a state of flux if key commanders are left out of battle through enemy action (eg GGK raid) or Murphy's Law (3G command network breaks down).
In earlier leadership transitions, rank-and-file had more success predicting their next Chief of Army (COA) than forecasting soccer scores for the next Premier League match.
Not all who are Service chief material (according to the gossip mill's Table Of Precedence) eventually make the grade. One is said to have faltered after a drink driving incident. Another general is said to have left for the private sector after missing out on the top post during a promotion exercise. Another well-regarded general left to join a bank.
With former COA Major-General Chan Chun Sing and former Commander Training and Doctrine Command Brigadier-General Tan Chuan-Jin pulled offline out of the blue, the Singapore Army's succession plan has been disrupted somewhat.
But this is the sort of situation which underlines the Singapore Army's coming of age as an institution. After decades of leadership development sparked off by the 1970s Goh Keng Swee-era Project Wrangler, the SAF has a pool of commanders ready to take command should the need arise. Among the 700,000-plus Singaporeans who served or continue to serve as SAF Operationally Ready National Servicemen, BG Ravinder Singh answered to call of duty.
With BG Singh as COA, MINDEF/SAF has a stellar example of how an Operationally Ready NSman really is at the forefront of the SAF and shares the same risks, duties and operational responsibilities as SAF regulars. In this regard, the system seems to have forgotten its own propaganda. All that press coverage in the mid 1990s that celebrated the change in nomenclature from reservist - which to soccer mad Singaporeans connotes a bench warmer reserve player - to the mouthful of an acronym ORNS seems to have been forgotten by new generations of journalists who make much ado about an NSman stepping up to the plate.
MINDEF/SAF's carefully calibrated succession plan appears to be a victim of its past year successes. Defence observers expect a smooth leadership transition for each Service with as much certainty as changes in the season. In the past, observers could indeed mentally map out the second, third and even fourth in line to the throne with some degree of assurance the plan would pan out as predicted. This mindmap no longer applies to the New Economy where the lure of the private sector and a more discerning MINDEF/SAF leadership appraisal structure has thinned the ranks of potential Service chiefs.
Much ado has also been made in the local press of a retiree coming back to active service. Remember that before the Military Domain Experts Scheme (MDES) came along, to retire in the SAF's context meant that an SAF serviceman would leave the military in the early to mid 40s for a second career. This timescale is way ahead of the statutory retirement age of 62 years, which means an SAF "retiree" - assuming one's career path led to the 40+ age exit - still has some mileage to offer.
The readiness of former commanders to return to take charge - as BG Singh has done - reflects that the Singapore Army's former generals have never fallen out of sight of the Army command. It also indicates that the Army Family embraces those in and out of uniform, because if MINDEF/SAF so desired, they could have cherry picked from within. (Indeed, a certain newspaper has practised a similar leadership renewal strategy by bringing in civil servants from outside the newsroom with no journalism background to be groomed as newspaper editor and editor-in-chief. *wink*)
The SAF's policy for leadership renewal recognises that the armed forces of a city state with a small population should be prepared to share its human capital. Movements of career officers from the SAF to the Admin Service reflect this reality. Implicit in this sharing process is the fact that human capital (ie. people) can move both ways, as BG Singh's move back to the Singapore Army readily demonstrates.
It is thus perplexing to see today's Sunday Times remark that the new 46-year-old COA "is in good company" on account of his age. Thisignorant thought-provoking statement goes on to cite the case of United States General David Petraeus who was 51 when he led a US Army division to war with Iraq in 2003. If Singapore's oldest COA is "in good company", does this mean all previous COAs were odd balls because of their youth?
Surely the writer would know that the career trajectory of SAF commanders moves them at a faster clip than their opposite numbers elsewhere? Which other country (apart from out of whack countries like North Korea) appoints generals at the age of 33 (current PM Lee Hsien Loong). The point is that the national paper should not play up the COA's age to justify his appointment as a sound decision to the detriment of previous SAF Service chiefs. Doing so casts a shadow on previous chiefs who did not have the benefit of "good company" because they assumed command in their late 30s or early 40s. (Another peeve: the over-used imagery of an Army general stepping in and out of uniform, boots and helmets, almost like a strip show. The analogy was used four times. We get the point already.)
Examples abound of older and younger generals who aced their opponents in combat. In World War 2, Allied reversals during the early years of the war saw many retired men in uniform called back to active service. Many led with distinction. In my opinion, the 700,000 former NSmen bring an immense and hitherto untapped value to the SAF as old soldiers, sailors and airmen are seen largely as old fogeys fit only to spin yarns at gatherings or for their quaint value as members of the SAF Veterans League (but more on this on another occasion).
The choice of a COA goes beyond book smarts of an SAF scholar or the street savvy of a commander who can relate to men and women under his command.
No less critical is the job of strengthening defence relations with Singapore's immediate neighbours with whom the SAF trains closely with, and with extant and emerging power houses farther afield such as China and India.
With some Indian newspapers (I mean the country, not Tamil Murasu) already commenting on BG Singh's link with the mother country, one would hope the current COA will be a driving force behind defence ties not just within ASEAN and with Pacific Rim partners but also those in India and beyond. Look at the response from The Times of India, which gushed on 5 March 2011 that BG Singh is the "first Sikh in nearly 30 years to be given the force's baton". It added: "A Singaporean of Indian origin, Singh is currently Deputy Secretary (Technology) at the Defence Ministry. He joined the Singapore Armed Forces in December 1982."
The Indians will likely welcome BG Singh as a former son of bharat who made good. Just wait for the editorials there when he makes his first official visit as COA. And the mainland Chinese will doubtless be keen to suss him out firsthand to see his impact on SAF-People's Liberation Army ties.
So a lot is expected of BG Singh's appointment.
In this regard, I believe the system has made the best of the current situation.
Long before foreign talent became a buzzword in the city state, Singapore's defence establishment had shown its readiness to cast its net wide for its military leaders. Singapore's fledgling air arm was led by a Taiwanese colonel in its early years after officers from Britain's Royal Air Force laid the groundwork. A New Zealander led the forerunner to the Republic of Singapore Navy.
After 45 years of independence, the Singaporean Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) and Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) have many local options for leadership positions. It thus has little need to look abroad for the unconventional - to put it nicely - move of having a foreigner lead a military Service. (That said, the SAF still relies on consultants from a certain foreign country for their military expertise. And let's leave the unique role of the Singapore Police Force Gurkha Contingent out of the picture... if not the argument gets somewhat convulated.)
Last Friday's leadership transition in the Singapore Army, after a retired general was brought back to its top post, shows how far the army has grown as a national institution.
Every SAF Service practices a policy of training-up-training, where a second and even third in line is spotted and groomed to take command. It is a prudent move for a professional of arms. During operations, the command structure could be left in a state of flux if key commanders are left out of battle through enemy action (eg GGK raid) or Murphy's Law (3G command network breaks down).
In earlier leadership transitions, rank-and-file had more success predicting their next Chief of Army (COA) than forecasting soccer scores for the next Premier League match.
Not all who are Service chief material (according to the gossip mill's Table Of Precedence) eventually make the grade. One is said to have faltered after a drink driving incident. Another general is said to have left for the private sector after missing out on the top post during a promotion exercise. Another well-regarded general left to join a bank.
With former COA Major-General Chan Chun Sing and former Commander Training and Doctrine Command Brigadier-General Tan Chuan-Jin pulled offline out of the blue, the Singapore Army's succession plan has been disrupted somewhat.
But this is the sort of situation which underlines the Singapore Army's coming of age as an institution. After decades of leadership development sparked off by the 1970s Goh Keng Swee-era Project Wrangler, the SAF has a pool of commanders ready to take command should the need arise. Among the 700,000-plus Singaporeans who served or continue to serve as SAF Operationally Ready National Servicemen, BG Ravinder Singh answered to call of duty.
With BG Singh as COA, MINDEF/SAF has a stellar example of how an Operationally Ready NSman really is at the forefront of the SAF and shares the same risks, duties and operational responsibilities as SAF regulars. In this regard, the system seems to have forgotten its own propaganda. All that press coverage in the mid 1990s that celebrated the change in nomenclature from reservist - which to soccer mad Singaporeans connotes a bench warmer reserve player - to the mouthful of an acronym ORNS seems to have been forgotten by new generations of journalists who make much ado about an NSman stepping up to the plate.
MINDEF/SAF's carefully calibrated succession plan appears to be a victim of its past year successes. Defence observers expect a smooth leadership transition for each Service with as much certainty as changes in the season. In the past, observers could indeed mentally map out the second, third and even fourth in line to the throne with some degree of assurance the plan would pan out as predicted. This mindmap no longer applies to the New Economy where the lure of the private sector and a more discerning MINDEF/SAF leadership appraisal structure has thinned the ranks of potential Service chiefs.
Much ado has also been made in the local press of a retiree coming back to active service. Remember that before the Military Domain Experts Scheme (MDES) came along, to retire in the SAF's context meant that an SAF serviceman would leave the military in the early to mid 40s for a second career. This timescale is way ahead of the statutory retirement age of 62 years, which means an SAF "retiree" - assuming one's career path led to the 40+ age exit - still has some mileage to offer.
The readiness of former commanders to return to take charge - as BG Singh has done - reflects that the Singapore Army's former generals have never fallen out of sight of the Army command. It also indicates that the Army Family embraces those in and out of uniform, because if MINDEF/SAF so desired, they could have cherry picked from within. (Indeed, a certain newspaper has practised a similar leadership renewal strategy by bringing in civil servants from outside the newsroom with no journalism background to be groomed as newspaper editor and editor-in-chief. *wink*)
The SAF's policy for leadership renewal recognises that the armed forces of a city state with a small population should be prepared to share its human capital. Movements of career officers from the SAF to the Admin Service reflect this reality. Implicit in this sharing process is the fact that human capital (ie. people) can move both ways, as BG Singh's move back to the Singapore Army readily demonstrates.
It is thus perplexing to see today's Sunday Times remark that the new 46-year-old COA "is in good company" on account of his age. This
Surely the writer would know that the career trajectory of SAF commanders moves them at a faster clip than their opposite numbers elsewhere? Which other country (apart from out of whack countries like North Korea) appoints generals at the age of 33 (current PM Lee Hsien Loong). The point is that the national paper should not play up the COA's age to justify his appointment as a sound decision to the detriment of previous SAF Service chiefs. Doing so casts a shadow on previous chiefs who did not have the benefit of "good company" because they assumed command in their late 30s or early 40s. (Another peeve: the over-used imagery of an Army general stepping in and out of uniform, boots and helmets, almost like a strip show. The analogy was used four times. We get the point already.)
Examples abound of older and younger generals who aced their opponents in combat. In World War 2, Allied reversals during the early years of the war saw many retired men in uniform called back to active service. Many led with distinction. In my opinion, the 700,000 former NSmen bring an immense and hitherto untapped value to the SAF as old soldiers, sailors and airmen are seen largely as old fogeys fit only to spin yarns at gatherings or for their quaint value as members of the SAF Veterans League (but more on this on another occasion).
The choice of a COA goes beyond book smarts of an SAF scholar or the street savvy of a commander who can relate to men and women under his command.
No less critical is the job of strengthening defence relations with Singapore's immediate neighbours with whom the SAF trains closely with, and with extant and emerging power houses farther afield such as China and India.
With some Indian newspapers (I mean the country, not Tamil Murasu) already commenting on BG Singh's link with the mother country, one would hope the current COA will be a driving force behind defence ties not just within ASEAN and with Pacific Rim partners but also those in India and beyond. Look at the response from The Times of India, which gushed on 5 March 2011 that BG Singh is the "first Sikh in nearly 30 years to be given the force's baton". It added: "A Singaporean of Indian origin, Singh is currently Deputy Secretary (Technology) at the Defence Ministry. He joined the Singapore Armed Forces in December 1982."
The Indians will likely welcome BG Singh as a former son of bharat who made good. Just wait for the editorials there when he makes his first official visit as COA. And the mainland Chinese will doubtless be keen to suss him out firsthand to see his impact on SAF-People's Liberation Army ties.
So a lot is expected of BG Singh's appointment.
In this regard, I believe the system has made the best of the current situation.
Friday, March 18, 2011
Singapore Civil Defence Force Operation Lionheart search team wraps up operations in Japan
All home safely. Reporting teams from 90C and CNA have also pulled out.
Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) Search Team Returns From Japan
Source: SCDF, 17 Mar 2011
Update No: 4
The SCDF search team comprising 5 search specialists and 5 search dogs left Japan at 2331 hrs yesterday evening. They arrived at Changi International Airport at 0635 hrs this morning.
2. Major Tan Loo Ping and his team were received by Mr Masagos Zulkifli Bin Masagos Mohamad, Minister of State for Home Affairs and Education, Commissioner SCDF, Commissioner Peter Lim, Japanese Ambassador to Singapore, His Excellency, Yoichi Suzuki, and SCDF’s Senior Management. His Excellency, Yoichi Suzuki, expressed his appreciation to SCDF for sending a search team to Japan.
3. This news release (update no.4) is the final update.
Note: All timings are based on Singapore time
Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) Search Team Returns From Japan
Source: SCDF, 17 Mar 2011
Update No: 4
The SCDF search team comprising 5 search specialists and 5 search dogs left Japan at 2331 hrs yesterday evening. They arrived at Changi International Airport at 0635 hrs this morning.
2. Major Tan Loo Ping and his team were received by Mr Masagos Zulkifli Bin Masagos Mohamad, Minister of State for Home Affairs and Education, Commissioner SCDF, Commissioner Peter Lim, Japanese Ambassador to Singapore, His Excellency, Yoichi Suzuki, and SCDF’s Senior Management. His Excellency, Yoichi Suzuki, expressed his appreciation to SCDF for sending a search team to Japan.
3. This news release (update no.4) is the final update.
Note: All timings are based on Singapore time
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