64 SERVICEMEN HONOURED FOR OVERSEAS CONTRIBUTIONS

With his eyes fixed on the television screen playing footage of people trapped under collapsed buildings in West Sumatra, the only thought that ran through medical officer Captain (CPT) (Dr) Hope Ang's mind was that he had to be there to help, fast.

And he did. On 3 Oct, less than 72 hours after the earthquake had struck Indonesia, CPT (Dr) Ang was on a C-130 transport helicopter as part of a 54-man medical team deployed to Pariaman in West Sumatra to render aid to victims of the 30 Sep earthquake.

Over the next two weeks, the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) medical team attended to more than 1100 emergency cases and performed more than 100 surgeries.

In appreciation of their contributions in overseas missions, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Teo Chee Hean presented the Overseas Service Medal (OSM) to members of the medical team at Headquarters, Medical Corps in Nee Soon Camp on 25 Nov.

Also receiving the OSM were six servicemen deployed to Bamiyan province in central Afghanistan from April to November this year. The team supervised the construction of a paediatric and women's ward extension to the Bamiyan Provincial Hospital, and a security wall around the Provincial Administrative Building.

Among the medal recipients were two servicemen who served in the National Support Element, facilitating logistics support for SAF deployments in Afghanistan, from February to September this year, and another two who served in the United Nations Mission in Timor-Leste for a year from last September.

Sharing his first-time deployment experience with cyberpioneer, medic Corporal First Class (CFC) Muhammad Jumari Bin Haron, recounted how he was overwhelmed by emotions when he witnessed the devastation in Pariaman and had to take care of trauma patients.

"It really wasn't easy, but my colleagues consoled me and helped me build confidence and the strength to face such situations."

Cultural and language differences were barriers the various teams had to overcome during their missions.

Said Lieutenant Colonel (LTC) Desmond Yeo, who led an engineering team in Bamiyan, "We had to be very sensitive when interacting with the local women...like being careful not to make eye contact or shake hands with them."

CPT (Dr) Ang added: "My knowledge of Bahasa Indonesia was rudimentary when I first arrived in Pariaman, and I had to rely on some medics to translate for me when conversing with patients...but in the end, through more exposure to the language, I could converse with my patients with much greater ease."

But for 2nd Warrant Officer (2WO) Mohamad Azmi Bin Mohd Tahir, the Company Sergeant Major of the surgical team during the deployment, language was not a problem as he was fluent in Bahasa Indonesia. He served as a translator for the surgical team.

"My experiences from previous missions helped me a lot in understanding how the surgical team should function and how to adapt to different situations...Furthermore, my medical training in the SAF prepared me well in leading the team to achieve mission success."

Despite the challenges faced, what made the servicemen's contributions worthwhile was knowing that they were improving the lives of others. Said LTC Yeo: "The locals in Bamiyan even invited us to their homes for meals, and that was probably their best way of showing their appreciation for what we had done for them."

Summing up his whole experience, 2WO Azmi said: "While I'm proud to receive the medal, it's really not about the medal. The best part was being there (in Pariaman) to assist the earthquake victims and help them to recover, and that, in itself, is priceless."

Commending the servicemen for completing their missions with commitment and professionalism, Mr Teo said: "Your commitment to duty reinforces the SAF's strong ethos of service to the nation. By upholding the high professional standards and core values of the SAF, you have done Singapore and the SAF proud."

Mr Teo also announced that a 13-man medical team would be deployed to a field hospital in Tarin Kowt, the provincial capital of Oruzgan, Afghanistan, from this December to next March. The team will provide emergency medical support, primary healthcare and pre- and post-operative medical care to the International Security Assistance Force, Afghan National Security Forces and the locals there.

25 Nov 09 - SAF Personnel Honoured for Contributions in Overseas Missions