Speech by Minister of State for Defence and Education, Lawrence Wong, at the National Education Gaming Championship 2012 Closing Ceremony, at *Scape Orchard

Chief of Army,
Distinguished guests,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Players and supporters,

First of all, I would like to say that I am very happy to join you this evening for the finals of the National Education Gaming Championship 2012.

I was walking around and watching some of you playing the game just now, and the first thing that struck me was how amazing gaming technologies have evolved. I grew up in a generation where we played "Donkey Kong", "Space Invader" and "Pac-man", and that is very rudimentary compared to what you have today, the graphics that you have, the realism, the sophistication of the games have far improved and you get so immersed in the environment. More importantly, I think the games teach you something and it is not just about getting involved in the game but you can take something out of it, whether it is team work, communication or collaboration, like many of the students said earlier.

I think many of you would have known by now that what you are playing on is not just a game, it is Virtual Battlespace 2 or VBS2. In fact, it is a realistic battlefield simulation used by military organisations around the world, including the US Marines and the Australian Defence Forces. In Singapore, the SAF uses VBS2 as a simulation tool to complement our field training. I hope that by being part of this competition and trying out VBS2, you would have a better understanding of the capabilities of our 3rd Generation SAF, and for the boys amongst you, that you will be better prepared for National Service. When you are fully engaged in VBS2, you get a chance to feel what it is like to be in combat, and in the battlefield. It truly requires you to be focused, to have total concentration, to engage and communicate with one another and to help each other. As the battlefield environment changes, you have to always be alert, keep in touch with your team members, and respond swiftly and decisively. So it is a simulation that engages you and requires you to have team work and collaboration. Even if you encounter setbacks, you have to be resilient and stay focussed on your mission in order to beat the other side. So I hope that by being involved, all of you would have had the chance to understand what being in the battlefield is about and would also had the chance to take away something from the game, to learn something about teamwork and collaboration.

For the guys, I think when you play this game in front of the computer screen and in the not too distant future, all the guys will have to experience all of these in real life, not just in the computer room. I think by being involved, I hope that this experience will give you a better preparation and better sense of what National Service is about. This year marks the 45th year of National Service and for those of you who were at the Army Open House at the F1 Pit Building two weeks ago, you would have seen how NS has evolved over the last 45 years. Whether it is in training effectiveness, the kind of weapons that we have, our personal equipment, or even our living conditions, things in NS are much better now compared to 45 years ago.

But one thing remains unchanged, and that is our mission to defend our home, and to secure our future together. Because our population is small, NS is still the only way we can build a force that is strong and credible enough for others to take us seriously. Our collective resolve and dedication to defend Singapore have earned us decades of uninterrupted peace and stability. But this does not mean that we no longer need NS, or can slacken efforts to strengthen our defence capability. Threats to us can arise suddenly or quickly. If things go wrong, we are not going to have any advanced notification.

All of us must therefore be prepared to do our part to serve and defend Singapore. This is ultimately what NS represents - our commitment and spirit as a united people, ready to fight for our country, defend our home, and protect our way of life.

Over the years, ssuccessive generations of NSmen have served readily, performing their duties professionally and with pride. Parents understand the importance and necessity of NS. Fathers who have served expect their sons to wear the uniform and undergo tough training. NS has become a rite of passage and a way of life for every able-bodied male citizen. So for the boys among you, when it's your turn to respond to this call of duty, I hope you do so with courage and with honour. Follow in the footsteps of those who have gone before you - your fathers and older brothers, and carry on the proud tradition of service to our nation.

On our part, MINDEF and the NEXUS office will do whatever we can to help prepare you for your NS experience. One way is through gaming events like this. It is a computer game but it is a very realistic simulator which gives you a sense of what you go through in NS. We are also looking at other scenario-based games, which will help you learn more about military strategies, command and control decisions, and networking and integration of different forces in the SAF. So, as part of this year's competition, we have launched a strategy-based game mobile application for the public and all for you to understand the SAF capabilities better. The app, Ops Battleforce, can now be downloaded from iTunes for free and played on an iPad or iPhone. I just downloaded it yesterday because it was in my speech and if I am going to talk about it, I better know what I am saying. I had a go at playing it. It gives you the sense of the different capabilities that the SAF has, and it is quite addictive and you can also get immersed into playing it. It is a strategy game and not a "First Shooter" game, so you need to think of different strategies to achieve your objectives. For those of you who had not downloaded the game, please do so and I think that by doing so, by playing the game, you will not only get a better sense of all the different capabilities that the SAF has but you will also be able to apply strategies and think about different strategies to achieve your objectives.

Finally, let me congratulate all the teams that made it through the preliminaries to qualify for a place in this final showdown which has taken place over the last four days. Those of you here today have made it through a long journey - taking time out of your busy school schedules for training, and enduring several intensive knockout rounds, so I think it is truly an achievement. Regardless of the outcome, I hope you have found the experience meaningful and that you have learnt something valuable from this experience. Thank you for being part of this event and I also thank the organiser for putting the event together, and I wish you a very happy evening. Thank you very much.

More Resources

• Minister of State for Defence and Education Officiates at NEGC 2012

• Fact Sheet: National Education Gaming Championship (NEGC)

• NYP is king of the virtual battlefield