521 SAF PERSONNEL PROMOTED, FIRST SERVICEWOMAN TO BECOME BG

Come July, the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) will have its first female one-star general. Colonel (COL) Gan Siow Huang, the current Head of Joint Manpower, will be promoted to the rank of Brigadier-General.

She is among the 413 officers, 74 military experts and 34 warrant officers from the Army, Navy and Air Force to be promoted to the next higher rank this year.

The Air Force officer received her certificate of promotion from Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen in a ceremony held at the Ministry of Defence on 26 Jun. All promotions will take effect from 1 Jul.

The mother of three girls, aged 3, 8, and 12, felt that her promotion showed that women could have a successful military career.

"Hard work, as well as good performance, also allows women to be promoted up the ranks, just like our male counterparts," said the 40-year-old who was among the first four women to receive the SAF Merit Scholarship in 1993.

"I hope that my promotion will encourage more women in Singapore to join the SAF. And hopefully, in the time to come, we will see more female leaders in the SAF," she added.

One of her toughest challenges in her career came during her tenure as Commanding Officer (CO) of 203 Squadron, when she was expecting her second child. The unit was a 24/7 outfit, responsible for the surveillance of Singapore skies.

"I was a little worried. As a CO, I was in charge of the whole mission for the squadron," she recalled. "But with some planning and arrangements made before hand, certain obstacles could be overcome."

"It is quite a tough journey, but I am fortunate to have a very supportive family, supportive colleagues, bosses, and peers," she added.

Her parents-in-law, who are retirees and cancer survivors, help to take care of her children during the day. It also helps that her husband, an ex-Navy regular, understands the nature of her work.

While family and peer support is important, COL Gan said servicewomen have to prove their capabilities.

"On normal working days, I would have to pull my weight, show that I am competent, I have the ability to lead," she explained.

When asked if she feels the pressure of carrying the weight of the aspirations of all SAF servicewomen, she said: "Somewhat, but I try not to let that affect me. I think the most important thing is put in my best, and live up to the tasks that are given to me."

The SAF promotion exercise is part of an ongoing effort to recognise and groom officers, military experts and warrant officers who perform well and demonstrate potential to contribute further to the SAF.

For Military Expert 7 (ME7) Francis Cheong, his promotion to ME8 - the pinnacle rank in the Military Domain Experts Scheme (MDES) - is a recognition of the contributions of military experts in the SAF.

The MDES is a relatively new career scheme introduced only in 2010, to groom experts in areas such as engineering, nursing, and intelligence.

Even though ME7 Cheong was an engineer by training, he was entrusted to command an air base, an appointment normally held by combat officers.

"I was the first engineer to take on such an appointment, and the exposure that I had was very enriching and fulfilling," said the 45-year-old Head of Air Engineering and Logistics. "The operational experience that I gained certainly helped me to prepare for my current appointment."

Major (MAJ) Mohamed Feroz Bin Mohamed Akber, 34, too, has a varied career with the SAF, including an 18-month stint as an officer cadet instructor in New Zealand.

"It was an eye-opener, being alone overseas to train foreign cadets," said the 34-year-old infantry officer who also attended the Command and Staff course in the United States.

But his most meaningful moment in the SAF thus far was helping to plan the state funeral of the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore's founding prime minister.

A career soldier at heart, he plans to stay with the SAF till the retirement age of 50, and even continue to serve as a volunteer thereafter.

"The primary reason I signed on with the SAF was really to be involved with the defence of Singapore," said MAJ Feroz, who will be promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

Overseas ops

Among the promotees are servicemen who have taken part in overseas operations. One of them is Navy Fleet Commander COL Lew Chuen Hong who was deployed to the North Arabian Gulf to contribute to the reconstruction of Iraq.

"Our role in the early years was largely maritime security, but over time, we have stretched our legs, we have gone round the world," said the 39-year-old, who will be promoted to the rank of Rear-Admiral (One-Star).

This was, in fact, what he signed up for when he joined the Navy more than 20 years ago.

"If anything, it's even more exciting now," he said, adding that when he first joined the Navy, he trained on coastal patrol craft, but the Navy of today has modern assets like frigates, submarines and even helicopters.

For Senior Warrant Officer (SWO) Choong Keng On, he was deployed to Afghanistan for over nine months from 2010 to 2011.

A detachment Sergeant-Major, he operated the weapon-locating radar to provide early warning of rocket attacks.

"I got to experience what it feels like in a real operation," said the 51-year-old who will be promoted to the pinnacle rank of Chief Warrant Officer.

He appreciates the opportunities given to him by the SAF, and wants to pay it forward by grooming the next generation of warrant officers and specialists.

"I will now focus on the people under me in my formation, to develop their core skills and competency," said the Commanding Officer of Artillery Vocation Training School.

NSmen promoted

Operationally Ready National Servicemen (NSmen) also received their certificates of promotion.

One of them was Senior Lieutenant Colonel (SLTC) (NS) Ng Tian Chong, Commander of 26th Singapore Infantry Brigade, who will be promoted to the rank of Colonel.

Despite having to juggle heavy family and work commitments, the father of five sees national defence as a priority.

This stems from his experience working in Indonesia in 1998, where he witnessed riots and political upheaval when the then-President Suharto was forced to step down.

Said the 50-year-old managing director with Hewlett Packard: "It strengthened my belief that we don't take things for granted, and we really have to protect what we have here in Singapore."