Speech by Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen, at the Inaugural SAF Senior Military Expert Appointment Ceremony

Chief of Defence Force,
Service Chiefs,
Senior Military Experts,
Families,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

Good evening. The transformation of the 3rd Generation SAF into a potent and effective fighting force depends on two essential elements - its people and use of technology. We have used technology extensively and it now permeates every level and activity of the SAF. If you look across various services and the whole spectrum from training and teaching, networking of our battle units and in actual operations where sophisticated systems can see faster, further, clearer and respond by delivering firepower decisively. Modern armies are, as ever, technology dependent.

But battles are not won because you have better machines, no matter how sophisticated. Technology enables, but ultimately the success of any mission depends on the abilities and commitment of its people. For the SAF, this means having fighting fit units, led by strong capable leaders who are ably assisted by operational experts with deep professional expertise and experience in critical domains such as engineering and intelligence. All three - soldier, commander and domain expert - will need to be built up to their full potential for the SAF to function at its optimum. The Military Domain Experts Scheme, or MDES, started in April last year, is therefore a strategic capability for the SAF. The MDES scheme is not just a career path. If we take it down that road, the SAF will be weakened. As pioneers and pathfinders of the MDES, it falls squarely on you to forge an identity that is distinct from the Officers and Warrant Officers and yet in synergy with the overall mission of the SAF. I would view this stage since we started in April last year and this inaugural Senior ME course as a crucial stage for the MDES where you as leaders in the MDES must imprint values to produce an ethos which is enduring. In other words, you are not fully formed, you are new. At the very least, Military Experts must imbibe and propagate the SAF Core Values, of Loyalty to Country, Leadership, Discipline, Professionalism, Fighting Spirit, Ethics, and Care For Soldiers. But as all of us know and many of you have spent long time in the SAF, values and tradition cannot just be taught but are created by examples of achievement and through sacrifice.

A good example is ME6 Chow Yuk Hin, who became the architect of our submarine maintenance systems. Recognising that every element of maintenance ultimately affected the watertight integrity of the submarine, he developed a comprehensive safety assurance programme covering all submarine maintenance activities. He learnt from other navies about their submarine certification regime and put in place a rigorous programme for the Navy. Now, some of our partners are seeking to learn from us. Examples like this will forge a culture of excellence in integrating systems and learning beyond your confined domains to acquire professional knowledge, and attain world class standards that others want to learn from. ME3 Eugene Low is another pioneer for MDES. He was deployed to Afghanistan as part of our Imagery Analysis Team that looked at photographic evidence collected by our Unmanned Aerial Vehicle or UAV team, and converted these into actionable intelligence. Their work was so effective that the Commander of the Combined Team in Oruzgan, COL James Creighton, remarked that it was the quality of analysis in their reports that made a real difference. ME3 Low is now due to enroll in the Singapore Management University, to pursue a full-time degree course. And his performance in Afghanistan does credit to all our military experts and creates a positive image both here and overseas.

We are here today to mark the appointment of 41 Senior Military Experts who are the first graduating batch to have successfully completed this inaugural Senior Military Experts Course. I was talking to a few of you outside and many of you said it was a demanding and rigorous course but one that was enriching, providing you with the same foundational leadership and military training that the Officer Cadets undergo. This is an important milestone in your careers as you embark on your service to the nation and the people of Singapore as Senior Military Experts of the Singapore Armed Forces. As the pioneer batch, the ethos, culture and traditions of Military Experts, how to build them for the Military Experts in the SAF, will naturally fall on your shoulders. It is both a heavy responsibility and an exciting one. You will need to imbue into MEs, both this generation and subsequent generations, the understanding of their strategic role in the SAF because they must not only see themselves as experts in their domains but be fully committed to ensure the success of every mission.

They cannot be passive experts but they must see themselves as active contributors that understand critical needs, clear bottle-necks and make the SAF more effective. The Military Expert community must see yourself as a critical pillar that complements the Officer and Warrant Officer Corps to enhance the overall combat capability of our men and women in the field and can build a stronger defence for Singapore. The idea and challenge I put to you - to see yourself as a strategic and active contributor to the SAF. I am confident that you will build a strong identity and an ethos based on world class professional standards and deep knowledge in your expertise areas.

It now gives me great pleasure to appoint you Senior Military Experts, where we place special trust and confidence in your loyalty, courage, and good conduct. You have done yourself, your family and your nation proud and I wish you every success as you carry out your duties to the best of your ability, with due diligence and perseverance, as Senior Military Experts of the SAF. Thank you.

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Inaugural SAF Senior Military Expert Appointment Ceremony