Top Military Award Conferred on Australian Chief of Defence Force

Chief of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) Air Chief Marshal (ACM) Mark Binskin was conferred Singapore's highest military award, the Darjah Utama Bakti Cemerlang (Tentera) [Distinguished Service Order (Military)], by President Tony Tan Keng Yam at the Istana this afternoon.
 
ACM Binskin was conferred the award for his significant contributions towards strengthening the close and long-standing defence relations between the ADF and the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF). Under his leadership, defence ties were elevated to a new level under the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP). Both the ADF and the SAF can now look forward to more training opportunities in the tough and challenging terrain of Australia, which will increase the interactions and interoperability between the two armed forces. ACM Binskin strongly supported joint operational deployments between both defence forces, such as the SAF's recent deployment of a medical team in Iraq, which operated alongside counterparts from Australia. ACM Binskin also supported the close cooperation between both armed forces under the Five Power Defence Arrangements and the ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting (ADMM)-Plus. Notably, his support for our co-chairmanship of the ADMM-Plus Experts' Working Group on Counter-Terrorism culminated in the successful organisation of the 2016 ADMM-Plus Maritime Security and Counter-Terrorism Exercise with Brunei and New Zealand, which remains the largest ADMM-Plus exercise conducted to date.
 
Guests at the investiture included Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen, Australian Minister for Defence Marise Payne, Minister for Education (Schools) Mr Ng Chee Meng, Permanent Secretary for Defence Mr Chan Yeng Kit, Permanent Secretary for Smart Nation and Digital Government Mr Ng Chee Khern, Chief of Defence Force Lieutenant-General (LG) Perry Lim, as well as other senior government officials and military officers from Singapore and Australia.  
 
ACM Binskin, who is in Singapore from 20 to 22 August 2017, also called on Dr Ng, and was hosted to breakfast by LG Lim before the investiture. As part of his programme, he will also visit RSS Singapura - Changi Naval Base tomorrow.