TOP GUNS OF THE SAF

Still waters run deep indeed.

By the nature of their job, submariners are known to work quietly deep in the ocean, away from the public eye. But at the Singapore Armed Forces' (SAF's) Best Unit Competition this year, the spotlight shone on the crew from the submarine RSS Chieftain, which emerged as the top ship of the Navy. This is the first time a submarine has won the award.

For the eighth consecutive year, the Army's 1st Commando Battalion (1 Cdo Bn) swept the Best Combat Unit award, marking an unprecedented 25 wins by this unit of elite troopers.

Another winner was the Republic of Singapore Air Force's (RSAF's) 149 Squadron (SQN), which won the title of Best Fighter Squadron at this year's competition.

On the factor that contributed to his unit's maiden win since the submarine was launched in 2001, Commanding Officer of RSS Chieftain Lieutenant Colonel Eddie Tan said: "Being submariners, we operate in a difficult environment where we have to be very meticulous in terms of safety, engineering standards, crew proficiency and professional knowledge.

"We carry this attitude to demand the best of ourselves in all areas, and I think that helped us to get high scores."

RSS Chieftain's Underwater Systems Operator Military Expert (ME) 1 Gijo George added that the enclosed living conditions in a submarine made it necessary for the crew to work well together.

"Working so closely together helps us to understand how our colleagues work and their temperament, so when you know someone is not feeling so good, you can do something to cheer him up. This will improve our operational readiness out at sea," he said.

For the Commandos, it is highly motivated people, good training procedures and a high level of operational readiness that helped them to defend their title as top soldiers, according to Commanding Officer of 1 Cdo Bn, Major (MAJ) Pang Chee Kong.

"The award is a recognition and validation that our methods are working, we're just looking at how to strive for better results," he said.

Skilled in operations such as reconnaissance, airborne assaults and raids on enemy installations, Commandos undergo highly demanding training, and Corporal (CPL) Thulasi Ragu Ram noted that it is difficult to remain motivated at all times of their training.

The Full-time National Serviceman said: "There will always be some who become discouraged, so we talk to one another and try to get through things together."

For 149 SQN, this is its first win since it was inaugurated as an F-15SG squadron in April last year. The squadron had won the Best Fighter Squadron award five times previously while operating F-5 fighter jets. It now operates the F-15SG all-weather multi-role fighter, equipped with advanced avionics and sensors.

Commenting on how the squadron managed to get up to speed so quickly within a year of operating on a new platform, 149 SQN's Commanding Officer Senior Lieutenant Colonel Kelvin Khong said: "It's the attitude of wanting to do well in our day-to-day job throughout the year that allowed us to build up the squadron from scratch within one year and win the Best Fighter Squadron Award."

Added pilot Captain Yip Chuang Syn, who is also an instructor in the squadron: "As instructors, we ensure that in training our students, we maintain high standards in the squadron... and that has helped us to build a strong foundation and a strong set of crew."

The annual SAF Best Unit and Best National Service (NS) Unit Competitions were introduced in 1969 and 1993 respectively to recognise units which have excelled in the areas of combat readiness, operational proficiency and administrative excellence.

Comprising a rigorous evaluation process over a year, the competition promotes mission excellence, professionalism and esprit de corps among servicemen in the units.

President S R Nathan and Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen will present the awards to the winners at the SAF Day Parade on 1 Jul at SAFTI Military Institute.

Best Unit Award winners

Active Units

NS Units