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Copy from ST:Leadership Renewal in the SAF

steffychun

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Leadership renewal in the SAF

BYLINE: Samuel Chan , FOR THE STRAITS TIMES

SECTION: REVIEW - OTHERS

LENGTH: 1005 words


IN RECENT weeks, the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) has seen personnel changeovers in key army appointments. While periodic renewal in leadership is healthy, the volume and timing of recent movements raise two pertinent questions. First, is there an exodus of 'talent' from the SAF's highest echelons? Second, what are the implications on the SAF's operational readiness?

Four 'chief' appointments stand at the apex of the SAF's uniformed structure - the Chief of Defence Force and the three service (army, navy and air force) chiefs. Singapore's Chief of Defence Force, Lieutenant-General Neo Kian Hong, has helmed the SAF since March 31 last year. Major-General Ng Chee Meng is the most senior among the service chiefs, having led the air force since Dec 10, 2009.

The Chief of Army (COA) and Chief of Navy assumed their posts less than a month ago. Brigadier-General Ravinder Singh replaced MG (NS) Chan Chun Sing as COA on March 25. For the navy, Rear-Admiral (RADM) Ng Chee Peng succeeded RADM Chew Men Leong on March 29. The latter completed the three-year tenure normally associated with such appointments and returned to the Administrative Service.

MG Chan's retirement from the SAF a day short of a year as COA is thus somewhat surprising to outsiders and defence watchers. He is expected to be introduced as a People's Action Party (PAP) candidate to be fielded in the 2011 General Election (GE).

BG Singh is the first minority race officer appointed COA, and affirms the practice of meritocracy within the SAF. It is also the first time a former career officer who transitioned to civilian life has been recalled to active service to head the army.

Another big-name exit from the SAF's top echelon and once front-runner as COA is BG (NS) Tan Chuan-Jin, who was the face of the SAF's 2004 tsunami relief mission in Indonesia. He has been succeeded by BG Lim Hock Yu at the army's Training and Doctrine Command. BG Tan retired and is a PAP candidate in the upcoming GE.

RADM Ng leaves the responsibility for SAF joint operations to BG Hoo Cher Mou, former Chief of Staff (COS) - Air Staff (air force No. 2). Another key posting, COS - General Staff (army No. 2), has been assigned to BG Tung Yui Fai, who leaves the role of Assistant Chief of the General Staff (Operations), the head of army operations, in the hands of BG Chan Wing Kai. BG Chan relinquished his appointment as Commander 21st Division/Chief Guards Officer to Colonel Nelson Yau on March 18.

Another widely publicised retirement is that of BG Lim Teck Yin, former commandant of Safti Military Institute, and since April 1, the Singapore Sports Council's chief executive officer. BG Mark Tan assumes this responsibility for all formal military education courses conducted for officers in Singapore.

Other changes of general-grade army officers include BG Ishak Ismail, who turned over command of the 6th Division to Col Yeo See Peng on Feb 18, and BG Teo Jing Siong, who handed over the reins of the 2nd People's Defence Force to Col Lam Shiu Tong on Feb 25. Both BGs assumed senior civilian positions with ST Electronics from April 1.

Their successors are both commando officers, with Col Lam recently handing over his role as Chief Commando Officer/Commander Special Operations Task Force to Col Chiang Hock Woon, the former commander of the Officer Cadet School, on March 4.

The resultant 'box score' of such personnel movements among the army's top echelon seems ostensibly haphazard. The army, which has to deal with the most changes among the services, has a new chief, and new heads of operations, doctrine, infantry, guards and commandos. Furthermore, five of the six division-level army units are likely to have officers in command for two months or less. Indeed, Col Benedict Lim, Commander 25th Division/Chief Armour Officer, is the most senior division commander, having held his post since July 9, 2009.

There is, however, no need for alarm. The early retirement of two of the army's brightest officers at the pinnacle of their careers does not constitute an 'exodus'. The senior leadership has depth and, if pragmatism requires, will make a 'reserve-to-active' recall to service. This feature is not unique to Singapore as both the American and Israeli militaries have demonstrated. Vacant key appointments have been filled without any leadership gaps. A greater concern, if one existed, would be an exodus of the officer corps' middle tier ('senior' captains to lieutenant-colonels), which will affect the senior leadership of tomorrow.

As for the SAF's operational readiness, one must be cognisant of two points. First, systems and structures are in place, and well-oiled headquarters staffed by active and reserve personnel stand ready to assist their respective commanders.

Second, the army does not operate alone, and the SAF is attuned to high-tempo integrated and joint operations. The first lines of armed external defence - the mostly professionally manned navy and air force - have not witnessed any mass changes in key appointments.

Such a leadership renewal exercise is allowed to take place regularly and systematically only because the geo-political milieu is benign. With the probability of inter-state conflict requiring large-scale manoeuvres negligible, this system of leadership renewal in the military is set to persist.

The writer was formerly an associate research fellow with the Military Transformations Programme at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University. He is currently a doctoral candidate at the University of New South Wales, Australian Defence Force Academy.

The early retirement of two of the army's brightest officers at the pinnacle of their careers does not constitute an 'exodus'. The senior leadership has depth and, if pragmatism requires, will make a 'reserve-to-active' recall to service... A greater concern, if one existed, would be an exodus of the officer corps' middle tier ('senior' captains to lieutenant-colonels), which will affect the senior leadership of tomorrow.
 
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