OPS & TRAINING
SAF AIDS IN NZ QUAKE RELIEF EFFORTS
23 Feb 2011
The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) will be deploying 116 Regulars and Full-time National Servicemen to help with rescue operations and to provide humanitarian aid to victims of the 6.3-magnitude earthquake that happened on 22 Feb in Christchurch, New Zealand.
The servicemen, who are from Headquarters Guards, were in Christchurch for the annual bilateral exercise codenamed Exercise Lion Walk when the earthquake happened. The exercise was stopped and the safety and numbers of the SAF personnel were affirmed.
They will be joined by 55 personnel from the Singapore Civil Defence Force urban search and rescue team and a command team led by Colonel (COL) Melvyn Ong, Commander 7th Singapore Infantry Brigade, who left for the disaster zone on 23 Feb.
The Singapore contingent departed from Paya Lebar Air Base via two Republic of Singapore Air Force C-130s and one KC-135 military aircraft in the early morning.
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