If you've served in the military (or watched any no. of war movies), you'd probably know that "sergeant", "warrant officer", "lieutenant", "major", "colonel" are ranks from the Specialist, Warrant Officer and Officer Corps. If you're dating someone who's serving in the military (especially if he's one of the above!), you should try to know that (just humour him, come on :) )

So who are Military Experts (MEs) and what's this MDES that the SAF introduced? If you're going "Huh?!?" right now, you're not alone.  This handy mini-guide will give you a quick run down on MDES and Military Experts in the SAF.

1. What in the world is MDES?MDES stands for Military Domain Experts Scheme (yes, it's quite a mouthful – we call it MDES for short – pronounced em-des). It is the only such scheme in the world, so yes, we can't compare. The structure with just the Officers and Warrant Officers and Specialist (WOSpec) Corps was handed down from the time of the British to the SAF. The SAF now is charting its own path by having three distinct schemes to better meet its current and future needs.MDES is not just a different career scheme, it's also a community distinct from the Officers and WOSpec Corps. It's still a young community, so give them time to forge an identity.

2. I thought Officers, WOSpecs and MEs all do the same job?They don't! Generally speaking, officers provide organisational leadership, while WOSpecs are tactical warfighting leaders and combat trainers. MEs bring with them the deep expertise and experience from doing a job longer. Officers, WOSpecs and MEs work together to create an integrated fighting force!

3. What is a military domain?It is a field of expertise, knowledge or responsibility, yes, like vocations. There are many MDES vocations like Army Engineer, Naval Warfare System Engineer and Expert, Naval Chef, Military Medical Expert, Air Force Engineer, Air Force Engineer (Flight Engineer), Air Force Technician, Air Operations and Systems Expert, Military Intelligence Expert and even Military Musician! Some MEs have even been posted overseas as Defence Attaches (the equivalent of ambassadors for the military).

4. Do MEs fight during war?Yes, like the Officers and WOSpecs, MEs have to get down and dirty and carry arms if required. MEs also have to pass IPPT and go for deployments - for example, ME1 Wong Zhen Wen was sent to Afghanistan as part of the Surgical Team. She  provided medical support to the international forces there.

5. How to read noodles? Who wear what?Last but not least, if you're still unfamiliar with the ME ranks, here's an easy way to remember: 3 mee kia = 1 mee pok! So if there's one mee pok (thick bar) and one mee kia (thin bar) on the epaulette, you read the rank as ME4.

Click here for more details on a career as an ME!

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