Commander of United States Indo-Pacific Command (US INDOPACOM) Admiral (ADM) Philip S. Davidson was conferred Singapore's prestigious military award, the Pingat Jasa Gemilang (Tentera) or the Meritorious Service Medal (Military), by President Halimah Yacob. Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen presented the award to ADM Davidson at an investiture held at the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) this afternoon.

ADM Davidson was conferred the award for his significant contributions towards enhancing bilateral defence ties between the US and Singapore. Under his leadership, the US INDOPACOM and the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) achieved several milestones and deepened cooperation through an expansion of professional and personal exchanges across all three services. This includes the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in 2019 on the establishment of a Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) Fighter Training Detachment at Andersen Air Force Base in Guam. ADM Davidson also oversaw the inaugural ASEAN-US Maritime Exercise in 2019.

On receiving the award, ADM Davidson said, "It is a tremendous honour to receive this award. Over the last 20 years, no other Southeast Asian country has done more to facilitate US presence in the region than our partners in Singapore, and the significant agreements signed over the past three years ensures the strategic partnership between our militaries and our countries will only continue to grow. I am extremely grateful for Singapore's continued leadership, both in ASEAN and throughout the Indo-Pacific, as we work together to address the significant challenges in the region and in ensuring a Free and Open Indo-Pacific."

Prior to the investiture, ADM Davidson called on Dr Ng and Chief of Defence Force Lieutenant-General (LG) Melvyn Ong, and reviewed a Guard of Honour at MINDEF. ADM Davidson also visited the Counter-Terrorism Information Facility earlier today.