Have you met: CO MPEU - LTC Sean Paul Magness

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Have you met: CO MPEU - LTC Sean Paul Magness

On this week’s feature of our Military Police and Security Troopers (MP/ST), we spoke to LTC Sean Paul Magness, Commanding Officer (CO) of the Military Police Enforcement Unit (MPEU). LTC Magness has been in the SAF for over 18 years. His formative tours were spent in the Commando Formation where he served his Platoon Commander, Officer Commanding, Intelligence Officer and Operations Officer tours. After his Command and Staff Course he was posted to 3rd Singapore Infantry Brigade as the Brigade S2 before assuming command of MPEU in Nov 2020. As the principal enforcement unit of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), MPEU is responsible for upholding the image of the SAF by maintaining military law and order, and enforcing regimentation and discipline. They enhance defence diplomacy by performing ceremonial functions for the State, and MINDEF/SAF, as well as support homeland security operations with certain niche capabilities.
  

LTC Magness engaging the Military Police Traffic Outriders from MPEU’s Traffic Platoon

 

How has your experience as CO MPEU been so far and what have been your key takeaways since assuming this appointment?

Being CO of MPEU has been a very unique experience. The policing operations we do here are quite different from the operations I had experienced in the SAF prior to taking up this appointment. The unit also has a diverse makeup comprising NSFs, Regulars, NS men and DXOs. This diverse makeup has allowed me to better understand how to engage and motivate people from diverse backgrounds.

One of the takeaways I have learnt is the importance of enhancing the NSFs' sense of belonging and ownership of the unit. An example of this is when we first formed our unit social media team in 2021. We identified a number of NSFs with a strong background in video editing and were able to harness their talent to produce content for our own internal engagement. Involving the NSFs in this way also gave them a greater sense of ownership of the unit. We learnt the importance of creating more of such opportunities to allow the NSFs to take the lead and since then have involved them in areas such as safety, management of the unit recreation room, and the organising of teams for the MP Command Sports Day. These initiatives have strengthened the NSFs' sense of purpose as they feel they are making a positive difference in the unit.

 


LTC Magness (centre) and Military Police Traffic Outriders from Traffic Platoon


    
How have your previous appointments and experiences helped you in your current appointment?

Most of my earlier career in the SAF was spent in the Commando Formation where I served my Platoon Commander, Officer Commanding, Intelligence and Operations Officer tours. Serving in MPEU has been very different from what I experienced in these earlier tours. However, the fundamentals of leadership, management and command that I learnt during my formative years have honed my approach to leading MPEU. The culture that was ingrained into me as a Commando has also shaped my key areas of emphasis for the unit particularly in the areas of achieving mission success, operational excellence, building a strong culture, and instilling purpose in our people. 

 

LTC Magness (background) observing an anti-riot training supported by Military Working Dogs


How has the experience of working with our MP/STs been like?

Working with our MPs and STs has been a deeply enriching and fulfilling experience. Our people are deeply committed and hardworking. As a whole, our MPs and STs are silent professionals with a strong sense of purpose rooted in the essential nature of their roles. My time spent in MPEU has given me the chance to understand our MP/STs, how to motivate them to accomplish the mission, and what is required to push them out of their comfort zone and break new boundaries.

 

LTC Magness overseeing an enforcement operation with MP/STs from the Law Enforcement and Ceremonial Company and Military Working Dog Unit


What are some reasons that make you proud to be an MP/ST?

The key reason for me would be the essential roles that our MPs and STs fulfill in the SAF in both peace and war – that of protecting our camps and ensuring military law and order is maintained. While these may not be the most glamorous of jobs, our role as protectors of the homeland is utterly essential to the proper functioning of the SAF and the security of Singapore.

I am also very proud of the people who serve in the unit with me. I took over command at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic and there was much uncertainty with the evolving measures when the Delta and Omicron waves hit. More recently in mid-2022 the easing of many of those measures brought with them a new set of challenges. Despite this uncertain situation, our MPs and STs put their trust in their commanders, reacted well to the evolving situation and diligently strove to overcome the challenges and achieve their missions.

 

LTC Magness engaging the MPs from Support Company (Special Security and Protection) before their live firing exercise

 
    
Being in MPEU, what are some of the challenging aspects of law enforcement and how did you overcome it?

Probably our most challenging type of operations are deserter operations, where my MPs from the Security Operations Detachment (SOD) make house visits to arrest SAF personnel who have gone AWOL. As such operations take place in the public view and in a subject’s home, we sometimes face uncooperative subjects and family members. The key challenge stems from how much our MPs' authority is recognised by the general public. To most Singaporeans, the authority of the SPF is almost universally recognised, however the public is less aware of the SAF Act and the powers it gives our MPs during our operations. As a result, we sometimes get family members questioning our authority, threatening to call the police and in some cases reacting violently to our MPs.

We overcome this in two main ways. Operationally, we maintain good linkages with the SPF. Prior to any such operation we will inform the police that we will be conducting deserter operations in a certain area so they will know how to respond should they receive a call from the public. At the tactical level, our SOD MPs are highly trained in a range of soft and hard skills. They undergo detailed scenario-based training to equip them with the soft skills required to engage deserters and their family members effectively as our priority is always to de-escalate any situation verbally. Perhaps our most effective tool to aid us in this is the body-worn camera (BWC). At the start of any engagement we will announce that all proceedings are being recorded, and this is usually enough to deter any hostile behaviour. However, should that fail, our MPs are well trained and equipped to defend themselves and arrest the deserter, though the use of force is always a last resort.

 

MPs from the Security Operations Detachment performing a search-and-arrest


    
Looking forward, what is the direction that you would like MPEU to work towards?

One key focus area that I set for the unit was to gear ourselves to become more future-ready. Many challenges lie ahead for Singapore and the SAF. Disruptive technology brought about by the 4th Industrial Revolution, an uncertain global security picture such as the Russia-Ukraine war, normalization of drug use in many countries, the increasing use of hybrid warfare strategies and the ever-present threat of transnational terrorism to name a few. All of these issues will have some impact on the unit in one way or another, be it an expanded threat frame, ease of access to contraband or a reduced manpower pool. 

But on the flipside, with threats also come opportunities. In the recent Command Effectiveness Programme we had, I emphasized that the unit needs to evolve to stay relevant and to meet the challenges of the future. Together we charted out the key focus areas for the unit and how our concept of operations would need to evolve in alignment with MP Command and the SAF’s future plans. To put it briefly, MPEU aims to become more nimble in our operations, build greater operational synergy across the different companies and leverage emerging technology to make us more manpower-efficient.

 

✍️ : PTE Teo Ze Xuan (Army News)
📷 : PTE Hong Soo Yong (Army News) & SAF MP Command Media Resource Team