COMING HOME FROM AFGHANISTAN

They were in camouflage attire, but they were far from inconspicuous.

Dressed in desert fatigues, 20 servicemen from the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) stood out amidst a crowd of travellers at the Singapore Changi Airport on 28 Oct.

These troops were returning home to their families after their various stints in Afghanistan as part of coalition efforts to stabilise the war-torn country.

Among them was former National Contingent Commander (NCC) Colonel (COL) Wong Yu Han, who had been deployed to Kabul for six months. As the NCC, he was in charge of SAF personnel serving under the ambit of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan.

He was joined by a 13-man medical team, deployed to Oruzgan province in Afghanistan in August this year to provide medical support and healthcare for ISAF personnel and Afghan locals.

The returning servicemen also included a six-man Imagery Analysis Team, stationed at the Multinational Base Tarin Kowt (MBTK) in Oruzgan since August last year to boost the ISAF's surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities.

Speaking to local media at the arrival gate, COL Wong described what the teams did in theatre: "We had roles in niche areas over there - medical people, imagery analysts and trainers - and that allowed us to maintain the security of the country and build up their defence capabilities together with our coalition partners."

He continued: "I've gotten very good feedback from the superior officers in the coalition about the performance of our people, and I'm very happy with that."

When asked about the challenges faced during the deployment, Major (Dr) Soh Teck Hwee, who was part of the medical team, said: One of the biggest challenges was to do hands-on work with war wounds and trauma, because in Singapore, we hardly get exposure to injuries like these.

"It brings home the picture that war is real, and we must be prepared at all times."

The high-threat environment in Afghanistan also posed difficulties to the troops, said COL Wong. "There were risks involved, but we trained and equipped ourselves well before we went up. That helped to keep us safe as we carried out our missions so we were able to contribute well."

The safe return of these servicemen brought smiles and relief to their family members, who received them at the airport.

Ms Lavania Rogers, the wife of Military Expert (ME) 4 Jiva Ananthan who served as a nursing officer in the medical team, spoke of her initial apprehension when her husband was deployed: "Generally when you hear the word Afghanistan, there's a certain fear, but now that he's back safe and sound, I'm very proud of him for representing Singapore."

Since 2007, the SAF has been deploying troops to Afghanistan to help with the multinational stabilisation and reconstruction efforts there. Currently, 10 Military Institutional Trainers are deployed at an artillery school at the Kabul Military Training Centre, while a six-man Imagery Analysis Team is deployed at the MBTK.