NAVAL DIVERS PROMISE THRILLING DISPLAY AT NAVY OPEN HOUSE

A group of hostages are being held by armed terrorists at a tower beside a pier. Without warning, naval divers emerge from the water and swiftly charge up the tower. A round of gunfire rings out and in less than a minute, the hostages are rescued as the naval divers successfully negate the terrorist threat.

This scenario was played out by the Republic of Singapore Navy's (RSN's) naval divers during a media preview on 14 May. It was a prelude to what is to come at Navy Open House 2010, where the divers promise even more bang to their display.

Naval divers will make their exciting entrance by jumping off a hovering Chinook helicopter and charging in on Rigid Hull Inflatable Boats (RHIBs). They will then intercept a vessel carrying terrorists and a group of hostages and take down the terrorists. All this action will unfold at the wharf in front of the parade square at Changi Naval Base.

As the elite force of the RSN, naval divers are often tasked to handle situations such as clearing of mines and search and rescue operations. These days, their roles have expanded to include ship protection, base and harbour defence operations, as well as dealing with piracy and terrorism, said Commander of the Naval Diving Unit (NDU), Colonel (COL) Tan Tai Tiong.

"Through their training, naval divers are able to appreciate and understand the maritime domain...which makes them suitable to be deployed for missions that are challenging and unpredictable," explained COL Tan.

As part of their training, the divers go through a six-month Combat Diver Course (CDC), which consists of gruelling physical training, combat diving, demolition training as well as land combat training.

When asked about the defining attributes of a naval diver, COL Tan replied: "Determination, tenacity and the sense of purpose is very important. In the face of challenging operating environments, naval divers must possess mental toughness and be able to maintain composure under pressure in order to fulfil their mission."

Full-time National Serviceman Third Sergeant (3SG) Benjamin Seow, who ranked "team-building week" as his toughest challenge as a naval diver, shared that being determined helped him through the arduous training.

Conducted as part of the CDC, team-building week is five days of rigorous activity consisting of long distance swims and runs, boat physical training and sea circuits, which work every muscle group in the body through various exercises.

"It was constant physical training with very little rest...When I felt like I had no more strength left, I encouraged my buddy and gave him the extra push. By doing that, I also felt motivated to complete the training," said 3SG Seow, a platoon sergeant in the Underwater Demolition Group.

"Like what many of our instructors told us, the pain is temporary, but the regret from giving up will last forever. Tough times will never last, but tough men do."

Catch these tough men and their stunning display at Navy Open House 2010. Show times are 10am and 3.30pm on 22 May; and 11.30am and 3.30pm on 23 May. Entry into the naval base is strictly by free shuttle buses from Singapore Expo Hall One, from 830am to 430pm on both days.