RECOGNISING SAF'S FINEST

Each year, units of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) face-off in a friendly competition in a test of combat readiness, operational excellence and administrative efficiency. The stringent evaluation process which the Best Unit Competition (BUC) calls for charts the units' progress over an entire year.

Winning the Best Combat Unit title for an unprecedented 24 times in the Competition's 41-year history is the 1st Commando Battalion (1 Cdo Bn). Thanking the men of 1 Cdo Bn, CO Lieutentant-Colonel (LTC) Leung Shing Tai said, "Our winning edge comes from our people, who are well-trained in their respective domains and who ensure operational excellence in all that they do."

Second Sergeant (2SG) Nicholas Kang, a Detachment Sergeant, told cyberpioneer that within the unit, everyone strives to do his best and the trainers set high standards in all that they do.

"The dedication they display motivates us to follow in their footsteps and perform beyond expectations," the full-time national serviceman added.

As the nation's first Air Defence Fighter Squadron, 140 Squadron (SQN) clinched the Best Fighter Unit this year. The win marks the 12th time the unit has triumphed. Operating the multi-role F-16C/D fighter aircraft, the squadron is also home to the Republic of Singapore Air Force's elite aerobatics team - the Black Knights .

Commanded by LTC Kwan Kum Wah, 140 SQN demonstrates combat readiness and competitive advantage in its ability to handle a wide spectrum of air-to-air and air-to-ground operations at all times. As LTC Kwan aptly put it, "We take pride in being operationally ready whenever, wherever."

Bringing home the Best Ship title is the Formidable-Class stealth frigate RSS Stalwart. For more than six months in 2009, the ship and crew were stationed in the United States for integration training with the Sikorsky S-70 Naval Helicopters.

"I think it is the camaraderie and our ability to stay focused on a task and being true to what we are capable of that enabled us to win. Not to mention the many sacrifices the crew put in during the US deployment," said Major (MAJ) Tan Yong Chye, Operations Officer RSS Stalwart.

"The wide-ranging competencies and professionalism of the crew on board RSS Stalwart, coupled with their tenacity and strong sense of esprit de corps, have resulted in the frigate's high levels of operational proficiency," said Lieutenant-Colonel Cheong Kwok Chien, CO RSS Stalwart.

In addition to active units, 10 NS units were also honoured as the best in their respective formations. Wining the Best NS Combat Engineers Unit title was 329th Battalion, Singapore Combat Engineers (329 SCE).

For Major (MAJ) (NS) Ong Chin Woo, Commanding Officer (CO) 329 SCE, winning the title was icing on the cake. "We didn't 'reverse-engineer' and analyse how to win the award. We focused on building a fun and cohesive unit and the award is simply an endorsement that we are doing the right things," he said.

Echoing his comments was Lance-Corporal (LCP) (NS) Ian Lee, a field engineer within the battalion. "We always feel happy to come back for In-Camp Training (ICT) and it's a blessing to be able to catch up with everyone despite our busy civilian schedules," said LCP (NS) Lee, who is a Business Development Manager in the construction industry.

Most of the men in 329 SCE served their full-time National Service together and have chalked up about seven years of friendship. "We are more like a family than a unit. We are friends, we help each other through ICT and try to enjoy it together," added MAJ (NS) Ong.

The "family" did well in their evaluation test in January, achieving a high level of operational readiness. Recounting an incident during the test when they found time to cook for the whole unit, 33-year-old Staff Sergeant (SSG) Benjamin Aw said, "The men were very happy that we cooked for them, and there was the feeling that we all cared for each other."

"While the test was tough, what mattered most was that we all enjoyed it and got through together as a battalion," said MAJ (NS) Ong.

For the BUC this year, a new award - the Best Helicopter Squadron title - was introduced. Winning the inaugural award is 127 SQN, which operates the Chinook helicopters. An illustrious unit in its own right, the SQN last won the Best Tactical Squadron (BTS) title in 2007. In the past, the helicopter squadrons competed alongside the tanker and transport aircraft squadrons under the BTS category.

The winners will receive their awards from President S R Nathan and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Teo Chee Hean during the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) Day Parade on 1 Jul at SAFTI Military Institute.

Active units

NS units

29 Jun 10 - SAF Recognises Its Best Units