SAF, SCDF RETURN FROM INDONESIAN WATER-BOMBING OPS

The combined Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) and Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) team concluded its firefighting efforts in South Sumatra, Indonesia, and returned to Singapore on 24 Oct.

The 14-day deployment saw the team dropping more than 400,000 litres of water and extinguishing more than 60 hotspots in the Palembang vicinity. This was part of multinational efforts that included teams from Australia and Malaysia, both of which had left Palembang earlier, on 19 and 20 Oct respectively.

The SAF deployed a Chinook helicopter and 34 personnel on 10 Oct, together with a six-man Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team (DART) from the SCDF, after the Indonesian government accepted Singapore's offer to assist in putting out the forest fires.

Despite the haze and heat in the area they operated in, air crew specialist 2nd Warrant Officer (2WO) Vijaikumar said the Singapore contingent stuck to their mission. He added that the seamless coordination between the SAF and SCDF teams kept things running smoothly.

"We knew what to expect from each other, so we came to a common understanding what each agency needed to do. We cooperated a lot; we got to know each other well personally over the two weeks and that helped us make sure that the work was done efficiently and correctly."

The cooperation included helping one another out in getting the heli-bucket ready before and in-between flights, as well as coordinating the washing of the buckets to make sure that it was always serviceable.

The 41-year-old added: "It took a few days to get used to (wearing the masks) We had medical personnel constantly reminding us to wear it even when we stepped out for ground duties."

At the farewell event held in Palembang Air Base, Deputy Head of the Indonesian National Board for Disaster Management Harmensyah expressed his sincere gratitude on behalf of the Indonesian government and thanked the SAF and SCDF teams for their firefighting assistance.

"It was an absolutely difficult task and assignment for us, but you all have done a great job. Your contributions really count," he said.

Similarly, mission commander Lieutenant Colonel (LTC) Vincent Tan also expressed his gratitude towards the Indonesian agencies: "The Indonesian agencies understood the dangers of firefighting operations using aircrafts and helicopters and they made a point to ensure that all the participants, including international players, came together every morning to go through a very thorough coordination so that we were very clear as to where we were going, and where are the areas assigned to us - to ensure the missions were safely conducted."

The 45-year-old also commended his team for their professionalism and expertise, despite the challenging conditions.

Our team was very well trained. When they went in, they knew what they were doing.

They displayed a high level of professionalism They were ready to fly every day when the visibility allowed. They gave their fullest (and) worked together seamlessly and they got the job done.

The returning contingent was welcomed at Paya Lebar Air Base by Chief of Defence Force Major-General (MG) Perry Lim, Chief of Air Force MG Hoo Cher Mou, senior SAF and SCDF officers as well as family members and loved ones.