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39 SAF Personnel Honoured for their Contributions to Overseas Operations
13 July 2026
Minister for Defence, Mr Chan Chun Sing presented the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) Overseas Service Medal (OSM) to SAF personnel at a ceremony held at the Central Manpower Base this afternoon.
Minister for Defence, Mr Chan Chun Sing presented the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) Overseas Service Medal (OSM) to SAF personnel at a ceremony held at the Central Manpower Base this afternoon. 39 SAF personnel were conferred the OSM in recognition of their contributions to humanitarian aid, counter-terrorism, counter-piracy, and maritime security operations overseas.
Addressing the OSM recipients at the ceremony, Mr Chan commended their dedication and professionalism in these overseas efforts, highlighting that they had done the SAF and Singapore proud.
Among the recipients were personnel who contributed to humanitarian aid efforts in the Middle East, including the delivery of aid and airdrop operations alongside other foreign air forces to Gaza from Jordan. Mr Chan noted the complexity and urgency of these missions, and highlighted the SAF's operational readiness and capabilities in successfully executing them. He said, “When others look at the SAF and make a judgement on whether we can perform up to the task, they look not just at how we train every day — they look at how we perform under real operational conditions.”
Recipients of the OSM also included personnel who contributed to counter-piracy operations as part of multinational efforts to safeguard international shipping lanes. Mr Chan noted that every overseas deployment is a considered decision, as each operation involves risk to the SAF and its personnel, and must be carefully weighed against Singapore's operational and strategic objectives.
The medals were also presented to personnel who supported counter-terrorism operations in the Middle East, as well as personnel deployed for other multinational maritime security operations. Mr Chan emphasised the importance of continued learning, noting that every mission allows the SAF to bring back new networks and knowledge, so that it can keep improving in service of Singapore and her people.
Chief of Defence Force Vice Admiral Aaron Beng, Chief of Army Major-General Cai Dexian, Chief of Navy Rear Admiral Sean Wat and senior SAF officers, as well as family members of the OSM recipients, were also present at the ceremony.
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