24 Dec 2007 | OPS & TRAINING
TOPPING THE CLASS IN TNI
STORY // Malcolm Tay
PHOTO // Aloysius Tan
PHOTO // Aloysius Tan
Every year, the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) sends its officers abroad for further studies at recognised centres of military education and leadership.
One such candidate was Major (MAJ) David Neo, who qualified for a course at an overseas academy.
His experience in 2004's Operation Flying Eagle, the SAF's relief effort to aid tsunami-struck Aceh, prompted him to attend the Indonesian Army Staff and Command School (SESKOAD) in Bandung, from which he graduated as the top foreign student in his class.
"Should there be a similar humanitarian operation in the future, I wanted to make sure that I was trained and ready to go to the field," said MAJ Neo, a staff officer at the Joint Operations Department until he left for Indonesia last September.
"I think it's important for us to understand the Indonesians and their culture, as Indonesia is one of our closest neighbours in the region."
The 30-year-old was one of nine foreigners among the 211 students in his cohort, hailing from as far as Suriname in South America and the United States.
In preparation for the 11-month course at SESKOAD, which ended last month, international students went through a four-month programme at the Indonesian National Defence Forces (TNI) language centre in Jakarta.
There, he and 22 other officers from across the Services were drilled in Bahasa Indonesia and learnt the nuts and bolts of the TNI, including its structure and history.
But even this did not quite prime him for the six months of intensive study that made up the first phase of the course, which also required him to hold discussions in small groups and work in syndicates of 16.
"I had to digest complex ideas in a language that was still new to me, and that alone was a huge challenge," said the Commando-trained Stanford alumnus, who won an award for the best research paper written by a foreign student.
Woven into the course was a six-day outfield exercise in Semarang, where he saw the TNI "work with the local populace for troop logistical support".
This concept of "area logistics" was just one aspect of "the Indonesian way of doing things" that MAJ Neo had learned to appreciate during his time at SESKOAD.
"Singaporeans are used to a fast, clean and efficient system. The Indonesian system, while just as effective, relies a lot more on networking and connections," he noted.
"There is more than one system that works, and we in the SAF need to be culturally sensitive when working with foreign armies."
About his success at SESKOAD, the father of one is thankful for being "given the appropriate opportunities by the SAF prior to enrolling" in the course.
"While sharing my past Army experiences with the other foreign students, I discovered that the SAF has a systematic way of preparing its officers for their appointments, which may not be practised in other militaries," recalled MAJ Neo.
"My doing well in the course is a testament to the SAF's emphasis on grooming people well and preparing them for whatever they do," he added.
One such candidate was Major (MAJ) David Neo, who qualified for a course at an overseas academy.
His experience in 2004's Operation Flying Eagle, the SAF's relief effort to aid tsunami-struck Aceh, prompted him to attend the Indonesian Army Staff and Command School (SESKOAD) in Bandung, from which he graduated as the top foreign student in his class.
"Should there be a similar humanitarian operation in the future, I wanted to make sure that I was trained and ready to go to the field," said MAJ Neo, a staff officer at the Joint Operations Department until he left for Indonesia last September.
"I think it's important for us to understand the Indonesians and their culture, as Indonesia is one of our closest neighbours in the region."
The 30-year-old was one of nine foreigners among the 211 students in his cohort, hailing from as far as Suriname in South America and the United States.
In preparation for the 11-month course at SESKOAD, which ended last month, international students went through a four-month programme at the Indonesian National Defence Forces (TNI) language centre in Jakarta.
There, he and 22 other officers from across the Services were drilled in Bahasa Indonesia and learnt the nuts and bolts of the TNI, including its structure and history.
But even this did not quite prime him for the six months of intensive study that made up the first phase of the course, which also required him to hold discussions in small groups and work in syndicates of 16.
"I had to digest complex ideas in a language that was still new to me, and that alone was a huge challenge," said the Commando-trained Stanford alumnus, who won an award for the best research paper written by a foreign student.
Woven into the course was a six-day outfield exercise in Semarang, where he saw the TNI "work with the local populace for troop logistical support".
This concept of "area logistics" was just one aspect of "the Indonesian way of doing things" that MAJ Neo had learned to appreciate during his time at SESKOAD.
"Singaporeans are used to a fast, clean and efficient system. The Indonesian system, while just as effective, relies a lot more on networking and connections," he noted.
"There is more than one system that works, and we in the SAF need to be culturally sensitive when working with foreign armies."
About his success at SESKOAD, the father of one is thankful for being "given the appropriate opportunities by the SAF prior to enrolling" in the course.
"While sharing my past Army experiences with the other foreign students, I discovered that the SAF has a systematic way of preparing its officers for their appointments, which may not be practised in other militaries," recalled MAJ Neo.
"My doing well in the course is a testament to the SAF's emphasis on grooming people well and preparing them for whatever they do," he added.
