Recognition for Contributions of SAF Personnel Involved in Recent Repatriation Flights from Middle East
Ministry of DefenceSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns Mr Christopher de Souza’s inquiry regarding formal recognition for Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) personnel involved in Middle East repatriation flights and the development of public education initiatives. Minister for Defence Chan Chun Sing affirmed that the SAF will use its existing framework to recognize all personnel, units, and commercial partners involved in the mission. He confirmed that operational lessons will be incorporated into commander training syllabi to highlight mission complexity and the courage required for such evacuations. Within operational security limits, the SAF will profile mission planning and background training through media and exhibitions to educate the public. The Minister emphasized that the successful deployment resulted from long-term investments in training and the collective efforts of uniformed and non-uniformed staff across various agencies.
Transcript
70 Mr Christopher de Souza asked the Coordinating Minister for Public Services and Minister for Defence whether the Ministry will consider (i) formally recognising the contributions of SAF personnel involved in recent repatriation flights from the Middle East and (ii) developing exhibitions or public education initiatives to highlight the choices and personal courage required to organise such repatriation efforts from active warzones.
The Minister for Defence (Mr Chan Chun Sing): Mr Speaker, Sir, the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) has a framework to recognise all our units and personnel who have participated in operations. We will similarly do so for the recent mission undertaken by the SAF in service of our nation.
Within the bounds of operational security, the SAF will profile the mission planning, execution and the background training that enabled the SAF to execute this mission. All missions involve risks. All missions are enabled by the consistent investment in training and equipping over the years.
We thank Singaporeans for their support of our SAF. Our SAF remains ready to execute our missions in service of our nation.
Mr Speaker, Sir, this mission was made possible by the collective efforts of many across the SAF and other agencies, including those beyond the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF). Besides the air crew who mounted the flights, there was also a team of headquarter planners, intelligence analysts and policy staff, some of whom are non-uniform officers, who worked at short notice to develop a safe flight plan, obtain diplomatic clearances and formulate various contingency scenarios and responses. We had a military medical team deployed to ensure the safety and well-being of those on board, commercial personnel from our defence partners, including ST Engineering Defence Aviation Services and ST Airport Services, deployed alongside our uniform engineers to support aircraft maintenance and cargo management. Locally, our Full-time National Servicemen ensure that the aircraft was prepared and equipped in a timely manner for the two flights.
Mr Speaker: Mr Christopher de Souza.
Mr Christopher de Souza (Holland-Bukit Timah): I thank the Minister for his comprehensive reply. My supplementary question arises out of our deployment of our Multi-Role Tankers Transport. I think our airmen and soldiers, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) and MINDEF should be commended. It was a complex high-altitude mission, and it was successful.
My supplementary question is borne out of my request that an exhibition be included, of this exercise, in the syllabus of the Officer Cadet School's Air Wing or Specialist Command School, so that NSmen and our soldiers, both men and women, can learn from the courage and the complexity of these successful multi-faceted rescue operations and evacuation operations.
So, would the Minister for Defence consider providing an inclusion of syllabus in the teaching of the commanders in our National Service, where we can glean extremely good lessons from successful missions such as these. And I state on record again, these men and women should be immensely commended.
Mr Chan Chun Sing: Mr Speaker, Sir, we thank Mr Christopher de Souza for his support of our men and women in service. The answer to both questions is yes. We intend, like in any operation, to debrief the team thoroughly and then we will share the relevant lessons with our servicemen, including those that may not be made publicly available.
On his other question about sharing some of these facets of the work with the wider public, we will certainly do so as we have done so in the first tranche with the media, including our local newspapers and broadcast media, to highlight some of the work that is done behind the scenes to enable this mission.
And finally, I would just like to thank all Members for your support, because as the Chinese saying goes, "台上一分钟，台下十年功". For the SAF to be able to mount an operation successfully, even if it is one minute on the stage, it requires 10 years of hard work behind the stage. [Applause.]