SAF PROMOTES 520 PERSONNEL

With 37 years of service in the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN), it seems like Military Expert (ME) 5 Richard Goh has seen it all.

The 54-year-old has sailed on various classes of ship, including the Formidable-class frigate RSS Formidable during her maiden sail from France to Singapore. In 2011, he took part in the Singapore-led Combined Task Force 151 mission in the Gulf of Aden. Today, he is Master Chief Navy and principal adviser to the Chief of Navy (CNV) for ground matters.

Despite joining the navy with less-than-ideal O levels results, ME5 Goh was given numerous opportunities to upgrade himself. For instance, the Navy sponsored him for a diploma in Maritime Studies in 2008.

His rags-to-riches story may be inspiring but what pulled him through tough times were resilience and a never-give-up attitude - qualities he picked up from being in the Navy.

"Whenever we encounter bad sea state, we cannot turn back," said the father-of-two. "We have to press on and everyone has to help one another overcome the challenges."

ME5 Goh was among the 520 personnel promoted at the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) promotion ceremony held at the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) on 29 Jun.

The promotees also included CNV Rear-Admiral (RADM) Lew Chuen Hong, who was promoted to the rank of RADM (Two-Star) and Chief Executive Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA) Tan Peng Yam, who was promoted to the rank of E12 under the DSTA scheme.

For Master Warrant Officer (MWO) Sathiamoorthy S/O Shanamugam, being promoted was good recognition and he was grateful to his commanders and team for being a part of his development.

As Command Chief of the Air Force Training Command, he always makes a point to build a strong sense of identity and purpose in his crew. This would allow them to develop independently as leaders and impart the same purpose to the next generation.

"When new airmen come into service, they usually think that they are here because they have to (serve)," said the 52-year-old.

"But they have to understand that by serving National Service (NS), they are also serving themselves and their family. Only by imparting the values and importance of a strong SAF can we ensure the defence of our country for the next few generations."

Fellow promotee Lieutenant Colonel (LTC) (NS) Ridzuan Bin Ismail could totally empathise with that.

When the 45-year-old director at the Public Utilities Board enlisted, he did not care much for NS. It was only after disrupting and coming back four years later that he started appreciating the importance of NS.

A deep sense of purpose drove him to extend his NS cycle in 2010 and LTC (NS) Ridzuan is now the Chief of Staff of 12th Singapore Infantry Brigade. His greatest goal? To impart the importance of national defence to his men and to make sure that they are trained and always ready for battle.

Citing the example of how he could not tell the difference between his Operationally-Ready National Servicemen and the Regulars during exercises, he said: "This shows that the SAF has trained us well. We may have our own careers, but we are ready to face any missions thrown to us just like a regular unit."

LTC (NS) Ridzuan also makes it a point to engage his men constantly and one of his greatest achievements is seeing how his officers have developed over the years. Like him, some of them even volunteered after completing their NS cycle!

"These are the things that make me feel proud and I know that as a commander, I've done something right and imparted the right values."