Full-time National Servicemen from the Singapore Army's 1st Commando Battalion conducting rappelling. The Army's 1st Commando Battalion (1 Cdo Bn), the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN)'s RSS Independence, and the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF)'s 142 Squadron (SQN) have clinched the Best Combat Unit, Best Maritime Security (MARSEC) Unit and Best Fighter Squadron awards respectively in this year's Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) Best Unit Competition. In total, 18 active units and 11 National Service (NS) units are recognised for being the best in their respective formations. President Halimah Yacob and Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen will present the awards to the winners at the SAF Day Parade on 1 July 2019 at the SAFTI Military Institute.
For the 16th consecutive year, 1 Cdo Bn achieved the Best Combat Unit in the SAF Best Unit Competition, chalking up an unprecedented 33 wins since the introduction of the competition in 1969. Trained to operate deep within enemy territories, the SAF Commandos are renowned for their proficiency in specialised operations such as airborne operations, reconnaissance, and raid missions. Commanding Officer (CO) of 1 Cdo Bn, Major (MAJ) Fabian Pwi said, "Winning the Best Combat Unit will always be unique and significant to each cohort of Commandos. Ownership and the sense of belonging to 1 Cdo Bn is what drives our soldiers to put their best foot forward. They took ownership of their task, buddies and their own well-being, going the extra mile to achieve mission success safely each and every time. With their indomitable spirit, they gave their best, achieving the results they did."
This year's Best Maritime Security Unit goes to RSS Independence. The first-of-class littoral mission vessel was involved in many operations over the last year. Besides operational patrols of the Singapore waters, RSS Independence was deployed during the security operations for the Trump-Kim Summit and ASEAN Summit. The ship was also involved in defending Singapore's sovereignty in the waters off Tuas. In addition, the ship continued to fly our flag high in overseas exercises, such as Exercise Eagle Indopura with the Indonesia Navy. CO of RSS Independence, MAJ Gabriel Choy attributed the ship's success to her crew's unwavering dedication to duty and professionalism to safely achieve mission outcomes amidst a high operational tempo. He said, "I am honoured to serve with such a fine crew. This win is a testament to the crew's uncompromising attitude towards excellence in everything that we do. Nothing less is acceptable in our sacred duty to defend our country and our people."
This is the first time the RSAF's 142 SQN has won the Best Fighter Squadron award since it was assigned as an F-15SG squadron in 2016. 142 SQN last won the award in 2001 while operating the A-4SU Super Skyhawk fighter jet. The F-15SG is an all-weather multi-role fighter aircraft, giving the squadron the capability of carrying out both Air-to-Air and Air-to-Ground missions. 142 SQN is also an operationally ready squadron, supporting the high readiness posture maintained by the RSAF to defend Singapore's skies. In recent times, the SQN has responded twice to alleged bomb threats aboard civil airlines. It has also recently participated in the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition 2019 (LIMA 19) in Malaysia. With the added responsibility of training new F-15SG aircrew, LTC Shewan Goh, Commanding Officer, 142 SQN, emphasised the importance of his people, saying, "We are honoured to be recognised as this year's Best Fighter Squadron. This award marks a significant milestone in the illustrious history of 142 SQN, and is testament to the squadron's high level of combat readiness and professionalism when called upon to defend the skies of Singapore. We are proud that every single one of our aircrew, ground crew, regular servicemen, NSFs and NSmen uphold the high level of standards across all spectrums of operations to ensure mission success. With this award, we will strive to do even better by developing our people into future leaders of the Air Force, focusing on the three key tenets of Safety, Standards and Discipline."
The annual SAF Best Unit and Best NS Unit Competitions were introduced in 1969 and 1993 respectively to recognise units which have excelled in the areas of combat readiness, operational proficiency and administrative excellence. The units are assessed based on a rigorous and comprehensive evaluation process over the past year. The competitions also serve to enhance mission excellence, professionalism and camaraderie among servicemen in the SAF units.
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