The Goh Keng Swee Command and Staff College (GKS CSC) Command and Staff Course (CSC) 2020 Graduation Ceremony was held at the SAFTI Military Institute this evening. This year's ceremony marked the completion of the 51st CSC, 21st CSC (National Service), as well as the 14th and 15th CSC (Executive). A total of 226 leaders graduated from the GKS CSC, comprising 116 regular officers, 49 National Service (NS) officers, 37 military experts, three warrant officers from the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), one Singapore Police Force (SPF) officer, and 20 international officers from 13 countries^[1]. The CSC, CSC (NS) and CSC (Executive) prepare officers for senior command and staff appointments in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), and are the highest level of formal military education offered in Singapore for Regular, NS and international officers.

Addressing the graduands live via video-conferencing, Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen, who was the Guest of Honour, highlighted the challenges confronting the world today and the continued presence of transnational security threats. He said, "COVID-19 has shown us that despite multilateral ties and globalisation, we are actually ill-prepared for such biological threats. But neither have existing transnational security threats diminished, let alone disappeared because of the pandemic. Climate change, cross-border terrorism, cybercrime, maritime disputes and malpractices continue around the world... For Singapore, MINDEF and the SAF are clear that we have to deal with the pandemic but we cannot neglect or let down our guard against these other security threats."

Dr Ng reminded graduands to remain resilient and determined in times of unprecedented challenges. He said, "These small but discreet steps - the completion of this course by yourselves; the resumption of bilateral and multilateral engagements - signal our determination to deal with COVID-19 and other security challenges decisively and deliberately. We march on, individually and collectively to make our region and the world, a better and safer place."

At the ceremony, Chief of Defence Force Lieutenant-General (LG) Melvyn Ong presented awards to six top graduates: Lieutenant Colonel Lance Oh Wai Mun, Major (MAJ) Katrina Pang Ping Ping and MAJ Koh Mao Jiang who received the Top Air Force, Army and Navy Graduate Awards respectively in the 51st CSC; MAJ (NS) Scott Chong Bing Ru, who received the Top Graduate Award in the 21st CSC (National Service); as well as MAJ Mohammed A'arif bin Mohammed Farouk and MAJ Gerald Teo Wee Liang, who topped the 14th and 15th CSC (Executive) respectively. LG Ong also presented graduation certificates to the NS officers, SPF officer and the 20 international officers. 150 other SAF graduates received their graduation certificates from their respective Service Chiefs, and from Director Military Intelligence/Chief C4I (Command, Control, Communications, Computers and Intelligence) for those from the C4I community.

This year also marks the golden jubilee of the GKS CSC, commemorating five decades of the GKS CSC's dedication to developing exemplary military leaders and shaping the 3rd Generation SAF.