SAF Honours Best Units

Commandos from 1st Commando Battalion (1 Cdo Bn) conducting a raid training mission. This is the 12th consecutive year and the 29th time that 1 Cdo Bn has clinched the prestigious Best Combat Unit award.

The Army's 1st Commando Battalion (1 Cdo Bn), the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN)'s RSS Tenacious and the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF)'s 144 Squadron (SQN) have clinched the Best Combat Unit, Best Fleet Unit and Best Fighter Squadron awards respectively in this year's Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) Best Unit Competition. In total, 18 active and 11 National Service (NS) units are recognised for being the best in their respective formations. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen will present the awards to the winners at the SAF50 Parade on 1 July 2015 at the SAFTI Military Institute.

For the 12th consecutive year, 1 Cdo Bn has garnered the top honours at the SAF's Best Combat Unit competition, chalking up an unprecedented total of 29 wins since the introduction of the competition in 1969. The SAF Commandos are renowned for their proficiency in specialised operations such as airborne operations, reconnaissance and raids on enemy installations. Commanding Officer (CO) of 1 Cdo Bn Lieutenant-Colonel (LTC) Alvin Tjioe Jin Kiat said, "1st Commando Battalion builds on the inherent strengths of our people - from individual fitness, soldiering skills and operational thinking to team competence, cohesion and resilience. As a synergised team, we live by the mantra in our Airborne Trooper Creed, 'I will succeed in all my missions.' This attitude has guided us to constantly excel and define new standards for ourselves."

The Best Fleet Unit award, previously known as the Best Ship award, is won by the RSN's RSS Tenacious for the first time. RSS Tenacious demonstrated high operational readiness and professionalism through its participation in numerous operations and exercises, in particular, the counter-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden in 2014. CO of RSS Tenacious LTC Ho Jee Kien attributed the achievement to his crew's tenacity and commitment to professionalism. LTC Ho said, "The award is a testament to the extraordinary teamwork onboard RSS Tenacious and our ability to excel in all assigned missions."

This is the fourth time the RSAF's 144 SQN has won the Best Fighter Squadron award, having clinched the award previously in 1995, 2005 and 2009. The squadron operates the upgraded F-5S/T multi-role supersonic fighter aircraft that performs air-to-air and air-to-ground missions. Besides maintaining a high state of operational readiness to defend Singapore’s skies, 144 SQN also actively participates in bilateral and multilateral exercises such as Exercise Elang Indopura with the Indonesian Air Force, and Exercise Cope Tiger with the air forces of Thailand and the United States. Attributing the squadron's achievement to the strong culture of professionalism and team excellence, CO of 144 SQN LTC Tsai Hong Pin said, "The people in the squadron made the difference. Each individual understands and performs their roles professionally. These, when synergised together, enabled our squadron to excel and win the award."

The annual SAF Best Unit and Best NS Unit Competitions were introduced in 1969 and 1993 respectively, to recognise units which have excelled in the areas of combat readiness, operational proficiency and administrative excellence. The units are assessed based on a rigorous and comprehensive evaluation process over the past year. To increase the recognition for the best units, new awards such as the RSN's Best Naval NS Unit award and the RSAF's Best Air Logistics Unit award were introduced this year. The competitions also serve to enhance mission excellence, professionalism and camaraderie among servicemen in the SAF units.

This year's Best Fleet Unit award, previously known as the Best Ship award, is won by RSN's RSS Tenacious. The award is a testament to the crew's tenacity, commitment and professionalism.

RSAF's 144 Squadron (SQN), which won the Best Fighter Squadron award, attributes its achievement to the strong culture of professionalism and team excellence. 144 SQN operates the upgraded F-5S/T multi-role supersonic fighter aircraft that performs air-to-air and air-to-ground missions.

More Resources

• The best of the SAF

• Fact Sheet: Winners of Best Unit Competition 2015