IN SERVICE OF THOSE IN NEED

MWO Sukhwinder Singh has built a career around delivering humanitarian aid and serving those in need.

Master Warrant Officer (MWO) Sukhwinder Singh S/O Joginder Singh remembers Operation Flying Eagle like it was yesterday.

Then an Air Crew Specialist (ACS) operating the Republic of Singapore Air Force’s (RSAF’s) CH-47 Chinook heavy-lift helicopter, he was among the first Singaporeans deployed to Indonesia to provide aid to the tsunami-hit country in 2004.

As part the Singapore Armed Force’s (SAF’s) largest humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) mission to date, MWO Singh and his squadron delivered critical supplies such as medical equipment to remote areas like Bandar Aceh.

“My CH-47 unit was one of the first deployed, and I saw firsthand the magnitude of devastation in-theatre,” said the 46-year-old.

At that time, he had only recently moved over from operating the older UH-1H Iroqouis helicopter and had to muster everything he had learnt to adapt to the ever-changing situation on the ground.

A purposeful career

The experience gave MWO Singh a deep sense of meaning and purpose in his role, a purpose that has grown into a life-long career in the RSAF.

On 24 Nov, he received the Long Service Medal at the National Day Award Investiture (NDAI), commemorating his 25 years of service in the SAF.

He was amongst 988 personnel from the Ministry of Defence and the SAF who received medals in recognition of their exemplary performance and contributions to the nation.

Training new generations of airmen

Perhaps few people can claim to know as much about helicopters as MWO Singh – he has worked on almost every one of the RSAF’s choppers, from the UH-1H as a fresh airman to the different variants of the CH-47.

He also completed tours with the Super Puma and Sikorsky S-70B Seahawk naval helicopter. 

In June 2019, he found himself working on board the CH-47 again, this time as part of the RSAF’s Oakey detachment in Australia.

During his three-year deployment, he participated in the SAF’s HADR missions, providing bushfire relief assistance to southeastern Australia in 2020 and supporting flood relief efforts in Queensland and New South Wales in 2022.

In the latter mission, his commanding officer appointed him the squadron’s ACS leader.

With men under him who were new to HADR operations, he had to fall back on his experience in missions like Operations Flying Eagle.

“(Operation Flying Eagle) gave me insightful knowledge on how we can operate expeditiously (in HADR operations), and the skillsets I gained from the experience contributed to the success of our missions,” said MWO Singh.

Now a Command Chief in 126 Squadron, he’s in charge of enforcing standards and imparting his decades of experience to a new generation of ACS. 

Support from home

Looking back on his 26-year career, MWO Singh knows his journey wasn’t always easy, but he always had the support of his family.

When he first enlisted in 1999, much of his training required him to be overseas.

For the then-20-year-old, who was living with his parents, homesickness was difficult to deal with.

“I’d call home, and my mum would give me words of encouragement and remind me to persevere,” said MWO Singh.

“She trusted that I would do well, and that gave me the motivation to keep moving ahead.”

After he got married and started his own family, his mum was also always there to help support his wife and young kids whenever he was deployed overseas.

MWO Singh is now giving his 15-year-old son a headstart and preparing him for enlistment.

“I train (Full-time National Servicemen close to) his age every day and I know what they go through when put into military life.”

“I can see he’ll be able build up the resilience to excel (and do) better than me,” he said.

What would he say to his younger self on enlistment day?

The same thing he says to his air crew and his own pre-enlistee son: “Stay resilient, face challenges head on, be adaptable and enjoy the journey.”