Speech by Minister For Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen at the Overseas Service Medal Presentation Ceremony

Chief of Army,Senior Commanders,OSM recipients,Family members,Ladies and gentlemen,First of all, good afternoon. I am delighted to be here at this ceremony especially where the family members are joining us. Always very happy to see your spouses and your children. Today, we want to recognise 54 SAF personnel. They have done an outstanding job in Afghanistan, as well as at the United Nations Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste, or UNMIT.

Singapore has played its part in the global fight against terrorism. As part of the multinational effort, the SAF went into Afghanistan to help the local people reclaim their country from extremists who were using it as a base to export terrorism to the rest of the world. For Singapore, this threat that they were using Afghanistan as a base to export terrorism wasnot just a theoretical threat. Some of you remember when we disrupted the Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) cells in late 2001, and we found out, after we disrupted these cells that some of those members had indeed received training in Afghanistan because the JI members were urged to go to Afghanistan to see the "fruits of Jihad". And when they were there, they learnt to handle the AK47s, the bazookas, the mortars, the grenades and explosives. This is not just a theoretical threat. They were actually our own people here, radicalised, went there, trained in using explosives and guns, not only in Singapore but other countries as well.

So we went into Afghanistan in 2007. Since then, over 470 SAF servicemen and women have served in Afghanistan as part of the International Security Assistance Force, or ISAF. 2007 till now as been one of the  longest overseas deployments for the SAF. I believe that in these years, we have made a difference to the local people in Afghanistan as well as in the international fight against terrorism. Our SAF soldiers helped build health facilities and provided dental, medical and surgical treatment. I remember in one of the reports, our medical teams that came back from Bamiyan at that time, said that when they went there, there were Afghanistan local people queuing for hours because they have kept this toothache and there were no dentists. And when one dentist came, they wanted to use this opportunity because they don't know when the next dentist would come. Just imagine! Many hours waiting for a dentist.

Our Weapon Locating Radar provided protection for ourselves and soldiers from other militaries. Our UAVs and Imagery Analyst Teams were not there just as a token presence but produced vital intelligence that led to the disruption and capture of extremist cells. If we had not done so, lives would have been lost. As conditions stabilised enough for the Afghans themselves to take charge, SAF personnel helped train their Afghan National Security Forces, or ANSF.

Over these six years, we sent our men and women in uniform into Afghanistan. And it is not that Afghanistan was a safe place. We recognised fully, and as Minister I recognised fully that sending our men and women into harm's way, I would receive regular reports, whether it was an SMS or emails, about IEDs exploding, suicide bombings as well as rockets and mortars, landing directly, some near to our camps, some near to where our soldiers lived. Each report underscored the risks that existed every day for our soldiers there.

Despite these risks, our SAF soldiers have remained steady and steadfast in fulfilling their missions. I think as a result, we have grown professionally. The terrain was unfamiliar. Temperatures were either very hot or very cold because it is the desert. Our soldiers had to adapt but in doing so became more resilient in dealing with uncertainty and the unexpected. With each new team that went in, they came back to Singapore, they debriefed others, they learnt from their predecessors. Each new team that went in, we gained more experience. Lessons were shared across the SAF, and as a result, this raised the operational edge for all.

I am proud of each serviceman because they demonstrated a high level of skill, professionalism and resilience while carrying out their duties. When I visited Afghanistan, and met the commanders from other militaries, they had high praise for the capability and professionalism of our soldiers. I knew they were not saying this to me because they had to. I didn't solicit for it, I knew that there was actual conviction that what our boys did there made a difference. When I went there, they were showing me expanded room for our imagery analysts. A building was built up and they showed me that these would be the new screens. The SAF would be in front, we are building this to accommodate them.

The SAF established a reputation amongst the international community as an operationally-ready, reliable and professional partner. They tell us that they wish that our SAF officers and men would stay longer because they value our contributions. I think that speaks volumes, it speaks the most about how professional the SAF is. Our officers are frequently nominated to receive US Military Decorations for their meritorious service and outstanding contributions - I mention some - LTC Mohd Fahmi for the US Joint Service Commendation Medal, MAJ Cai Dexian for the US Army Bronze Star and LTC Chan Ming Hoe for the US Army Commendation Medal.

This afternoon, together we recognise the contributions of our SAF servicemen who have served in various capacities in Afghanistan last year. Among them, the National Contingent Commander COL Lim Kwang Tang.

We want to acknowledge our Imagery Analyst Teams in Oruzgan, led by LTC Lim Kwang Eng and LTC Lim Kah Keng, who provided critical surveillance and reconnaissance inputs to our coalition partners. And as I said, as a result, a potential attack on the coalition forces and Afghan civilians was prevented, thus saving many lives.

Our Military Institutional Trainers in Oruzgan have also made a difference in training the Afghan National Army, or ANA, to develop Counter-IED capabilities. They were led by CPT Cai Weizong and CPT Li Zhiren Ranon.

In Kabul, our Military Institutional Trainers, led by SLTC Ng Hock Sing, have also helped train Afghan trainers in the ANA School of Artillery. They are making progress, and the ANA is now able to deliver artillery training lessons with minimal supervision from the Coalition Forces.

Singapore is playing its part as a small army together with others.

Collectively, these various efforts have enabled the Afghan security forces to be more proficient and self-reliant. The ANSF is therefore on track to take over full security responsibility for Afghanistan from the ISAF progressively. And this is what we want. We are not there to be full time or a long time. We want to help the local people regain the country and run it themselves. In fact, 23 out of 34 provinces are now fully in transition. The majority of Afghans now live in areas where the ANSF is responsible for its own security. With this primary mission of handing over responsibility to the local Afghans being accomplished, an increasing number of our partners within the ISAF coalition have initiated their own draw-down plans. The SAF will also be doing the same. By June this year, the SAF will conclude our deployments in Afghanistan. By then, the SAF would have completed six years of operations in Afghanistan as part of an international coalition. Six long years, six meaningful years, six dangerous years. Singapore can be satisfied that the SAF has done its job well in preventing the export of terrorism from Afghanistan and preparing the Afghans for self-governance. These were our two missions and I think we have done it very well. The SAF has also done good work in Timor-Leste. This afternoon, we recognise MAJ Tan Leong Poh and MAJ Syariman Bin Elendrus, who were deployed in Timor-Leste from September 2011 to December 2012 under UNMIT. MAJ Tan served as a Military Information Analyst and MAJ Syariman as an Operations Officer in the UNMIT HQ to support Timor-Leste's reconciliation and the restoration of public security. Since we started our UNMIT deployments in 2006, the SAF has benefited much from these operations and learnt many things. With the conclusion of the UNMIT mandate in December 2012, the SAF has also ended its deployment in Timor-Leste.

Two places, very different. Afghanistan very far, Timor-Leste nearer but still very difficult.

Let me thank all of you for the highest standards of professionalism and commitment shown in Afghanistan and Timor-Leste. You have done Singapore and the SAF proud and you have flown the Singapore flag high.

I know that when you were away, your families had to bear the brunt and sacrifices for you not being here.

Let me also take this opportunity to convey my deepest appreciation to the families of our servicemen. Many of you, I know that it has not been easy. I saw the video, your parents brought to camps to Skype with you. It has not been easy for you. You have families, you have children, your absence has been felt. It is because you have spouses and family members who play their part. I know when I visited our people in Afghanistan and how they took it - they said that it was because they were supported by their families back home that they have the peace of mind to do the job here. Thank you for helping the SAF fulfil its mission. On behalf of the people of Singapore, I would like to express the SAF's deepest gratitude to each of you.

Thank you everyone.