Speech by Mr Teo Chee Hean, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence, at 40th Command and Staff Course and 10th National Service Command and Staff Course Graduation Ceremony

Graduands of the 40th Command and Staff Course (CSC) and the 10th National Service CSC,Distinguished guests,Ladies and gentlemen,Good evening.

The security agenda over the last decade has widened to include a spectrum of complex, transnational and non-traditional challenges. Terrorism, piracy, sectarianism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction are but some of the new and pressing security challenges that have been super-imposed upon the Singapore Armed Forces' (SAF) existing mission of deterring and defending Singapore against threats to our independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity. The SAF is also increasingly being called upon to work together with other armed forces to maintain the peace and stability of our own region and beyond. In our region, the Jakarta hotel bombings in July this year remind us of the persistent nature of the terror threat, even as authorities have made some progress in the fight against it. There has been a surge in global piracy attacks this year, primarily in the Gulf of Aden and off the coast of Somalia. As a maritime and trading nation, the rise in piracy is of special concern to us. An estimated 90% of the world's trade is conducted by sea. Piracy adversely impacts the global economy by threatening the safety and freedom of navigation of international shipping in key sea lanes. In the coming years, as countries also struggle to cope with the impact of climate change and compete for food, water, energy and other resources, tensions between countries could rise. Such friction if not properly managed could lead to conflict and threaten international peace and security. The current global economic downturn also brings with it political and economic uncertainties. This combination of factors heralds a potentially difficult period ahead for the international community and requires wisdom and cooperation for us to move into a new era of peace and cooperation.

These new security challenges underscore the need for the SAF to be ready to take on a wider set of roles to safeguard Singapore's peace and stability. Today, the SAF possesses a spectrum of capabilities to deter aggression and respond flexibly to contingencies ranging from peacetime threats to defending against an attack on Singapore. At home, our servicemen and women are deployed to defend key installations against terror attacks, and stand ready to defend Singapore against a conventional threat. Overseas, the SAF has deployments as part of the international effort to assist in the reconstruction of Afghanistan, and in Timor-Leste as part of the UN mission. From April to July this year, we also sent an SAF Task Group to the Gulf of Aden to assist in the international fight against piracy. And most recently, we deployed medical and engineering teams to assist in the relief efforts following the West Sumatran earthquake. In 2004 the SAF set in motion its transformation into a 3rd Generation fighting force to better meet current and future security challenges. As part of this transformation, the SAF has been restructured to strengthen inter-service and inter-agency integration. The RSAF has undergone a fundamental re-organisation into five new Commands. Another example is the restructuring of the Navy's Coastal Command earlier this year. The new Maritime Security Task Force works closely with key national maritime agencies like the Police Coast Guard, the Maritime & Port Authority and Singapore Customs, to respond swiftly to potential maritime security threats. In July, we also formed the Special Operations Task Force, which brings together special operations combat power from across the whole of the SAF to respond more swiftly and flexibly to any threats that may arise. A second important aspect of the SAF's transformation is the modernisation, upgrading and networking of its units, platforms and systems. Today, our commanders, soldiers, sailors and airmen are networked together with weapon systems such as our Leopard tanks, artillery guns, Apache attack helicopters, F-15 fighters and Formidable-class frigates.

They are able to exchange information, coordinate activities and call upon the full range of capabilities of the SAF. The third, and perhaps most important part of the SAF's transformation is to prepare our people with the mental attitude and skills required for the 3rd Generation SAF. Military officers, especially senior commanders need important new and multi-faceted skills to lead the 3rd Generation SAF to accomplish its wider spectrum of missions. To ensure Singapore's own security, the SAF will increasingly participate in multinational operations across the globe. Our officers must therefore be politically aware and media savvy. They must possess cultural adeptness and the ability to build trust and consensus with servicemen from partner armed forces, local leaders, as well as non-governmental organisations. And they need a deep understanding of our national interests and policies so that they can confidently exercise their judgement and make good operational decisions in the field. The 3rd Generation SAF requires a new type of leadership. More initiative is required right down to the smallest tactical unit and individual serviceman. The decisions and actions, and the information that the "strategic corporal" provides, can make a decisive impact on the overall battle. This requires a leadership paradigm that values initiative, and transfers authority for action further down the chain of command. It requires confidence in the part of the commanders and confidence in your subordinates. This flexibility and adaptability demands a highly trained and motivated soldier, who can see beyond his immediate situation. Simply executing SOPs well without appreciating the reasons, and the wider context of his unit's mission and situation, will not bring mission success. Fortunately, our increasingly better educated and technologically savvy regulars as well as national servicemen do want more responsibilities and to find more challenge and meaning in their job and service in the SAF. And that is precisely what the SAF needs and wants of them too. Our commanders must therefore be inspirational leaders who can motivate their servicemen, and communicate to them the importance of what they are doing and why they are doing it. As leaders, our officers must themselves be innovative problem solvers who are willing to take risks and not merely follow previously established norms when confronting new circumstances and conditions.

Only then can his soldier be inspired to do the same. As we transform, we recognise that it is ultimately our people, whether officers or enlistees, regulars or national servicemen, who will keep the 3rd Generation SAF strong and dynamic. As our servicemen take on greater roles and responsibilities in an expanded spectrum of operations and operate new weapons systems, we will need to recruit, develop and retain able and committed people in the SAF. This year, we have made major steps to enhance the development of our people when we rolled out the enhancements to the existing Officers' and Warrant Officers' schemes and introduced the new Military Domain Experts Scheme (MDES). The Enhanced Officers' Scheme allows the SAF to benefit from the experience and continued service of officers who want to serve until they are 50 years old and this meets also the personal aspirations of many of our officers. The enhanced Warrant Officers' Scheme provides more opportunities for Warrant Officers to upgrade themselves and take on greater responsibilities. This again meets the aspirations and desires of our warrant officers and their potential to do more. The new MDES recognises a need for deep and specialised expertise in specific areas of the SAF. Military Experts under MDES can serve until they are 60 years old. Overall, the new schemes provide the SAF and our people to benefit from increased opportunities for training, preparation and exposure. There are a number of initiatives to promote life-long learning and realise the full potential of our people through Continuing Education. Last year, the SAF signed an MOU with the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) to establish a strategic partnership under which an SAF officer can pursue an NTU Masters Degree with credits earned from SCSC. Similarly, we signed an MOU with UniSIM early this year. I am therefore heartened to know that more than half of today's graduands from the 40th CSC have applied for Continuing Education sponsorship for either the SAF-UniSIM or the SAF-NTU Masters Programme. There are also developmental opportunities, further educational opportunities for our warrant officers.

The SAF also recognises the key role that National Servicemen play as the main fighting force in our national defence. These are the men who, although not career military personnel, will take up arms when our country needs them. This requires them to be at a high state of readiness, achievable only by a steadfast commitment to their National Service duties, in spite of competing demands in their family and working lives. Their contributions and sacrifices over the years have provided Singapore with continued peace and security. At this juncture, I would like to commend two graduands who exemplify the dedication and commitment of our NS Senior Commanders. Out of uniform, CPT (NS) Eugene Chew Beng Guan is a Sales Engineering Manager with Amadeus Asia Ltd. He began working at Amadeus only in January and is based in Bangkok. For Eugene, attending NSCSC meant overcoming many challenges - convincing his boss and the HR people of the importance of the course and defence to Singapore, re-scheduling workshops and meetings with clients, and having conference calls in between lessons, at night and over the weekends. MAJ (NS)(Dr) Chong Yew Lam is another officer who had to juggle heavy work commitments with course demands. A urological surgeon at the Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Yew Lam had to return to the hospital during the weekends to make his rounds, and was also called upon to perform a surgery during the course. The commitment from these two officers shows that National Service is indeed a national pillar of strength, a strength drawn from NSmen who believe that Singapore is their home and future - for themselves and their families.

I know that many of you have made similar sacrifices to attend NSCSC, and for this I thank you on the behalf of the government and the SAF. Recently, the Government accepted all 18 recommendations of the Committee to Recognise the Contributions of Operationally Ready NSmen to Total Defence or RECORD V. One significant recommendation is increasing the allowance for NSmen in leadership roles to recognise the greater responsibilities that they shoulder. And to help NSmen minimise disruption to their work, we have accepted the recommendation to allow NSmen to bring their laptops and mobile devices for use outside of training hours during ICT. I am glad that they have been positively received by our NSmen and their families. Today, we have here graduands from both the 40th CSC and the 10th NSCSC in the first combined graduation ceremony for NS and regular officers. To reflect the importance of integration between our Regular and NS commanders, we also had the NSCSC Residential Phase conducted concurrently with the CSC Army War-fighting term, with officers from both courses participating together in a combined Division exercise. Building the 3rd Generation SAF will require further organisational and doctrinal changes. And as the SAF undertakes more challenging and complex operations at home and abroad, there will be more occasions where regulars and NSmen find themselves working together. I am therefore pleased that SCSC is fostering closer integration between our NS Officers and regulars. I am also delighted to note that amongst our graduands are 15 officers from 12 countries - Australia, Brunei, China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Thailand, South Korea, the United States and, for the first time, Vietnam. In addition, we welcome our colleague from the Singapore Police Force.

To our international friends, I hope you have found this course fulfilling - on both the professional and personal fronts. The friendships that you have forged here will be invaluable as you return to your countries and pursue your careers in your own armed forces. Keep these networks strong and alive, and use them to build understanding and trust between our countries. These will be useful when your armed forces and the SAF are called upon to work together - be it in joint exercises, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief efforts, or international security operations.

In closing, I would like to thank the spouses and family members of the graduating officers for your support. We deeply appreciate your understanding and encouragement, not only in helping our officers manage the rigours of this course, but also in the various phases of their service to the nation. We also look forward to your continued support, as the graduating officers will now be expected to take on heavier responsibilities in their senior command and staff appointments. It leaves me now to convey my best wishes to the graduating officers. Singapore counts on you to lead your men in the defence of our nation. With the continued commitment of you and your men, the 3rd Generation SAF will remain ever vigilant to fulfil our mission to safeguard Singapore's peace and security. Thank You.