TO BE AN SAF OFFICER

Fresh out of school and in the midst of their Basic Military Training (BMT), these young men were drawn to the challenging aspects of a military career and the professionalism of their predecessors.

They certainly got more than they expected over the course of their careers, with the SAF providing them with a gamut of opportunities to broaden their horizons and to serve their fellow men.

PIONEER gets the inside story from three SAF officers who have contributed to keeping Singapore safe for over 12 years, and finds out what keeps them passionate about what they do.

Exceeding limitations, seeing the world

RSS Persistence was about to reach its destination but MAJ Derrick Chan, who was the operations officer on board the Landing Ship Tank (LST) then, found that his crew had all but vanished from the deck.

He found them looking into the sea at the starboard side of the ship where a grim sight greeted them - dead bodies floating face-down in the water, victims of the 2004 Asian tsunami.

"I could see that it affected the guys a lot. You can see it from their eyes," said MAJ Chan. "They knew they were in the middle of a real disaster, a real operational situation."

Following that sighting, the crew refused to stop working. They loaded one fast craft with ration supplies and stores after another, spending all their rest time on the deck simply waiting for the next craft to come in. According to MAJ Chan, they were willing to forgo their own comfort and rest, to just "keep helping, keep doing".

"No one asked when they could return to their bunks, or when was the scheduled rest time," he said.

"They just sat where they were and slept. They had been working round the clock and I could really feel the camaraderie among us, and it really brought us together."

Joined SAF in 1996, after BMT, as a midshipman
Now: Staff officer in HQ RSN
His SAF Tagline: Why suffer a boring job?

This was one of the key defining moments of MAJ Chan's career in the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) thus far, and what made it more poignant was that he played a part in the humanitarian assistance mission right from the planning stages.

He was activated at about 7pm and it took him and the crew less than two days to set sail to Meulaboh, a coastal town in Indonesia. Even though he had gone without sleep for more than 40 hours and was called upon at the very last minute, he was ready to be part of the mission and to contribute with his best efforts.

"I was very glad to be involved in such an operation, and truly felt everyone put their hearts into it. It is something I will always remember," he said.

Besides participating in the tsunami relief operation in Indonesia, MAJ Chan has travelled all over the world with the Navy, from his midshipman days to his tour on board the LST. In just six years, he had been sent for more than 10 deployments and exercises abroad, spending almost half his time overseas.

"An SAF career is definitely what I am looking for, where I get to travel, meet people and help them. To do good for altruistic reasons, for example, when we were deployed to Iraq to contribute to a larger effort," said MAJ Chan, who is currently a staff officer with HQ RSN.

"When we were training Iraqi Navy personnel and providing the people with rations, I can visually see the changes, the immediate fruits of my efforts in teaching them how to handle things and doing good."

Therein lies the unique aspect of a career in the SAF. You get to go to places that no SIA ticket will take you, places you wouldn't view as holiday destinations, and doing things you never imagined you would.

MAJ Chan has come a long way from being the polytechnic graduate who first decided to join the Navy while he was on a BMT tour of Tuas Naval Base. He recalled how he was on board a missile corvette and being impressed with all the sophisticated equipment and the way the Navy worked like a big family.

"Without the SAF, I would not be able to study abroad at all," he told PIONEER very frankly.

"My parents weren't able to send me overseas, and I would not have had the opportunities to experience all these things."

With an SAF undergraduate sponsorship, MAJ Chan pursued an electrical engineering degree at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, and returned with first class honours and a Siemens Telecommunications Prize to boot.

In 2006, he also took up the SAF Postgraduate Award in International Relations at the Rajaratnam School of International Studies.

"I cannot imagine where I would be if I did not join the SAF," said MAJ Chan. "The SAF offers you a very important growing process nurturing people to be decisive, to take charge and take control in a certain manner."

"These are qualities which will be useful to a post-SAF career."

Most importantly for MAJ Chan, this job provides self-actualisation, as he enjoys what he does and feels it serves a higher purpose.

"The SAF provides a job that is interesting, secure and fruitful. It has filled my life with unique experiences, and I would leave this place a different person," he said.

MAJ Chan (above) in the Combat Information Centre of an LST during his deployment to the Northern Arabian Gulf, and him (below, fourth from the right) together with his US Navy counterparts there.

Joined SAF: In 1992, after six months in National Service, as pilot trainee
Now: Branch Head at Maritime Air Operations Unit, Naval Operations Department
His SAF Tagline: The SAF, for a unique and fulfilling career

MAJ Ong (right) and his course mate from the Japan Air Self-Defence Force Command and Staff College.

MAJ Ong (front row, third from right) and his Super Puma squadron mates on board a RSN Landing Ship Tank during a joint operation.

Global outlook for national defence

If you make a couple of bad decisions in the civilian world, your company may lose huge sums of money and you may get the sack. But if you make just one bad call in the SAF, it may result in loss of lives, something you cannot put a price on.

For MAJ Ong Jack Sen, Head of the Maritime Air Operations Branch in the Naval Operations Department, the importance of the SAF cannot be overstated.

"The SAF is here for the purpose of the defence of Singapore. As much as some people want to say that we live in a peaceful world, the reason why it is so is because of diplomacy and the existence of a deterrence force," he said.

"Our job in the SAF is to continue to be prepared to defend and to be a deterrence force. That's what I think makes us unique."

The Super Puma pilot was sold on the idea of an SAF career after attending a pilot recruitment talk at Central Manpower Base when he was 18.

"I was young and impressionable and the packaged slide show they put up looked really nice, so I thought I would give it a shot," he told PIONEER, adding that up till then, he had only gone on a short commercial flight once in his life.

"After entering the Air Force, I liked what I encountered and what I saw. It was an interesting job, I got to fly and I also enjoyed the camaraderie, as well as the professionalism and integrity, of my colleagues."

Besides attaining various qualifications in flying, one of the highlights of MAJ Ong's career thus far was attending an overseas staff course in Japan for 15 months, inclusive of a three-month Japanese language course, at the Japan Air Self-Defence Force Command and Staff College.

The college was located in Tokyo but the course included field trips to other islands such as Okinawa, Hokkaido and Kyushu. They visited military installations while learning about the culture of the land.

This is all part of professional progression in the SAF, to prepare personnel for future appointments.

"We conduct Command and Staff courses locally as well, but the SAF sends people to different countries to interact with, and learn from foreign officers there," explained MAJ Ong.

"I gained a better understanding of the Japanese people and of the Japan Self-Defence Force. I was most impressed by their attitude, and how they are very motivated and hardworking."

On top of such professional courses and academic sponsorship, the SAF also provides courses to prepare personnel for the transition to a second career.

At the end of the day, it simply takes two things to decide if you are suited to a career in the SAF: commitment and a desire to serve.

Value-adding and staying relevant

The prospect of a stint at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst was tantalising enough to entice MAJ Joshua Ang to become a full-time soldier. He was 18 years old and halfway through his Officer Cadet Course when he decided to challenge himself by taking up the offer to Sandhurst.

"As an 18-year-old, like many of my peers, I had no clear idea what I wanted to achieve in life yet. So to me, Sandhurst was an interesting challenge to pursue, compared to my other alternative at the time, which was to further my studies in computer engineering," he told PIONEER.

He added, with a grin: "To be a geek or to join the Army, the choice is quite clear right?"

Always known for breaking the mould, MAJ Ang has not looked back since. He revels in the holistic nature of a career in the SAF, where personnel get to try out different jobs at various postings.

Joined SAF: In 1996, after 'A' levels, enlisted to 42 SAR through mono intake
Now: Weapon Staff Officer in Systems Integration Office
His SAF Tagline:
Freedom is not free
(inspired from the WWII Korean memorial located in Washington DC)

Ever since he returned from the Naval Postgraduate School in California, where he did Operations Research, he has been looking at introducing new 'concepts to capabilities' that impact Armour units and how to improve what is currently in the SAF s stable.

As a Weapon Staff Officer in the Systems Integration Office, he is part of the value-chain of the 'concepts to capabilities' cycle, which includes ideas generation, identifying solutions, championing its funding approval and acquiring the capability.

"I try to bring in new military innovations to improve what we have today. That's how I aim to value-add to the organisation," MAJ Ang told PIONEER.

"It is useful for Weapon Staff Officers to see things from ground-level, to know whether things are implementable, to see their efforts impacting the lives of the soldiers in the short and long term."

MAJ Ang was also part of the committee that helped to organise the recent Land Warfare Technology Seminar, an event during the Singapore Airshow. It was attended by personnel of foreign armed forces, and featured speeches and presentations by Chief of Army, MG Neo Kian Hong, and then-Chief Defence Scientist, Professor Lui Pao Chuen.

As his job "continuously challenges" him, MAJ Ang has no qualms about staying on in the SAF, although naysayers often warn about the relatively early retirement age of 45 for SAF officers.

"Job opportunities are always there, it is up to the individual to shape his future," he said.

"I think I can survive anywhere after retirement. After working in different areas in the SAF, you will be able to have a set of skills that are quite marketable everywhere."

"Of course, some aspects of the job will not apply elsewhere, but the key thing to any military officer is adaptability, and being able to settle any issues."

For those who enjoy leading and shaping ideas into action, MAJ Ang recommends that they carve out a niche for themselves in the SAF, where they can constantly learn and grow, and stay relevant to the needs of the nation.

MAJ Ang receiving his post-graduate degree from President Nathan.

MAJ Ang (right) has participated in various exercises such as this bilateral exercise between the SAF and the Royal Brunei Armed Forces.

Academic Sponsorships
Full-Time Undergraduate Sponsorships:
SAF Overseas Scholarship [SAFOS]
SAF Merit Scholarship [SMS]
SAF Academic Scholarship [SAS]
Local Study Award [LSA]

Part-Time Sponsorships for Non-Graduate Officers:
Degree
Advanced diploma
Diploma

Postgraduate Sponsorships:
General Development
Specialist Development
Part-time Masters programmes

Upgrading Opportunities
50 per cent Reimbursement and Unrecorded Leave Scheme
Lifelong Employability & Advancement Programme (LEAP)
Continuing Education (CE) programmes