SAFETY FIRST FOR MULTIPLE-AGENCY EXERCISE

For many of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) soldiers, this is the first time they have set foot in the United States, much less living in the desert and dealing with extreme weather conditions.

Besides operating in a new environment, the servicemen participating in Exercise Forging Sabre also have to adapt to the respective lingo and operational styles of multiple agencies as they work side-by-side for the first time on a massive scale.

For such a complex exercise, it comes as no surprise that there is an exhaustive list of possible hazards involved, as well as a dedicated team appointed to address these safety concerns.

Headed by Chief Safety Officer Lieutenant-Colonel (LTC) Paul Sung, the three-man safety team works with safety officers from each unit to ensure the exercise remains 'incident-free'.

"In Exercise Forging Sabre, there is a whole spectrum of hazards that we will face," said LTC Sung (left).

"For the air crew, they will face the flight hazards mid-air because there are numerous air assets that are involved in this exercise."

"And when they fly in the night, they have to also deal with night-time threats like spatial disorientation. The hilly terrain here also doesn't help and the men have to be very careful while maneuvering."

"On the ground, the troops will face the desert environment, the harsh conditions that it offers, for example, dehydration. And in the night, when it gets very cold, hypothermia is an issue for the troops."

"This whole area here is also a live-firing area, so you find that it is littered with unexpended ordnances that may explode if you step on them," he added.

In addition, even when the men are off duty, there are safety issues such as handling off-road driving conditions and getting used to different traffic rules and orientation.

To mitigate these risks, besides physically supplying the men with amenities and thermal gear to combat the elements, the top brass at Exercise Forging Sabre is focusing its doctrinal efforts in four major areas.

Firstly, making it a priority to establish good communication and co-ordination. This is achieved by increasing their understanding of each other, by putting them all under the same roof and going over mission briefs together.

Next, putting in place multiple layers of safety procedures, so there is a system of check-and-balance from the Headquarters right down to the individual.

The team also makes it a point to heighten the awareness of individuals through compulsory safety briefs before they can enter the area of operations.

Lastly, technical proficiency is also strongly emphasised because the team believes that no amount of safety processes can actually cover the lack of technical proficiency.

"In every exercise that we go to, safety is a very important part," said LTC Sung

"While the ops guys are achieving their operational objectives, sometimes they might get too involved and the safety people must then come in to make sure that there is a balance in both ops and safety."

"The ultimate aim of the safety team is to achieve zero accident throughout the whole exercise and re-deploy everyone back home," he added.

>> Visit the Ex Forging Sabre website for more information