A Tale of Two Generals

[Ernie]

Compare and see what constitutes a true soldier. One a farkin "Pen pusher" put on the pedestal because of his academic achievements now earning big bucks masquerading as a "soldier" and another a true soldier that has seen it all, done it all.


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Background of Singapore's top military officer -

Major-General Neo Kian Hong is the Chief of the Singapore Army.

Major-General Neo was a student at Victoria School. He then went on to Nanyang Junior College, where he was the top student for Nanyang Junior College's 1982 GCE 'A' level cohort.

Major-General Neo joined the Singapore Armed Forces(SAF) in March 1983 and was a SAF (Overseas) Scholar in 1984. In the course of his military career, he has held among others, the appointments of Chief of Staff, Joint Staff cum Director, Joint Operations and Planning Directorate (JOPD); Commander, Army Training and Doctrine Command; Commander, 9th Division; Assistant Chief of the General Staff (Operations); Assistant Chief of the General Staff (Personnel); Commander, 7th Singapore Infantry Brigade; and Commanding Officer, 1st Battalion, Singapore Guards.


Background of soldier and statesman Colin Powell -

Colin Powell served two tours of duty in Vietnam, and as a battalion commander in Korea. He later commanded the 2nd Brigade, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) and V Corps, United States Army in Europe, and was Commander in Chief of Forces Command, headquartered at Fort McPherson, Georgia. General Powell was the 12th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from October 1, 1989 until September 30, 1993, serving under both President George H.W. Bush and President Bill Clinton.

General Powell has been the recipient of numerous U.S. military decorations, including the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, Bronze Star Medal, and the Purple Heart. His civilian awards include the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Congressional Gold Medal, and an honorary knighthood (Knight Commander of the Bath) from the Queen of England. He retired from the U.S. Army in 1993.

 

[newyorker88]

The difference?


A paper general who never fire a single round at any enermy.

A brave one who went thru many battles.

 

[scoobyhoo]

how to compare like this? guess if he was sent to afgan, he might fight better than those who were there now? who knows?

 

[Ernie]

For someone who spends almost his entire life buried in books... I don't think so. The farkin geek would probably make it as a mess boy.

Laters...

 

[cowbehcowbu]

Hi bros.you want our highly paid..generals to die like rats in the desert mountains in AFGn...like the US marines......got killed everyday........
DOES our genarals got that king of battled hardened GUTS to go to AFGN...???
just too naive boys....

 

[shelltox]

Compare and see what constitutes a true soldier. One a farkin "Pen pusher" put on the pedestal because of his academic achievements now earning big bucks masquerading as a "soldier" and another a true soldier that has seen it all, done it all.


________________________________________________________________

Background of Singapore's top military officer -

Major-General Neo Kian Hong is the Chief of the Singapore Army.

Major-General Neo was a student at Victoria School. He then went on to Nanyang Junior College, where he was the top student for Nanyang Junior College's 1982 GCE 'A' level cohort.

Major-General Neo joined the Singapore Armed Forces(SAF) in March 1983 and was a SAF (Overseas) Scholar in 1984. In the course of his military career, he has held among others, the appointments of Chief of Staff, Joint Staff cum Director, Joint Operations and Planning Directorate (JOPD); Commander, Army Training and Doctrine Command; Commander, 9th Division; Assistant Chief of the General Staff (Operations); Assistant Chief of the General Staff (Personnel); Commander, 7th Singapore Infantry Brigade; and Commanding Officer, 1st Battalion, Singapore Guards.


Background of soldier and statesman Colin Powell -

Colin Powell served two tours of duty in Vietnam, and as a battalion commander in Korea. He later commanded the 2nd Brigade, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) and V Corps, United States Army in Europe, and was Commander in Chief of Forces Command, headquartered at Fort McPherson, Georgia. General Powell was the 12th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from October 1, 1989 until September 30, 1993, serving under both President George H.W. Bush and President Bill Clinton.

General Powell has been the recipient of numerous U.S. military decorations, including the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, Bronze Star Medal, and the Purple Heart. His civilian awards include the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Congressional Gold Medal, and an honorary knighthood (Knight Commander of the Bath) from the Queen of England. He retired from the U.S. Army in 1993.

I would rather our soldiers not fight a war in the defense of our nation. You are comparing a nation had fought wars all over the world in the name of freedom and democracy but had through her "unbridled greed " in the name of globalization, is causing so much misery around the world. The USA is just a big bully. In just the last 60 years, the USA had fought wars
1. WWII, Korea War, Vietnam War, Iraq War 1, Iraq War 2 and the war in Afghanistan. Ours is a deterrent force and not a offensive one.

 

[DrPanacea]

Simple question: Which General would you follow to war?

 

[1sickpuppy]

How can you compare like that. Its like comparing SG to US. SG don't have the size and the ambition for arms confrontation whereas US......... You decide for yourself lah. Anyway our armforces are just for show so inline our generals also must be for show lor. These generals main job is to lick the king's and prince's ass and suck their dicks. Just think of these generals as MIWs doing their NS or reservist like one of us doing our NS or reservist and you won't be so disapointed

 

[Ernie]

I would rather our soldiers not fight a war in the defense of our nation. You are comparing a nation had fought wars all over the world in the name of freedom and democracy but had through her "unbridled greed " in the name of globalization, is causing so much misery around the world. The USA is just a big bully. In just the last 60 years, the USA had fought wars
1. WWII, Korea War, Vietnam War, Iraq War 1, Iraq War 2 and the war in Afghanistan. Ours is a deterrent force and not a offensive one.

The argument isn't about war or US foreign policies, it's this: How can anyone call themselves a general if he hasn't seen action? WTF? It's like saying you're a car mechanic but you've never worked on a car before. Being top student does not make one a general or for that matter a soldier. Who's he kidding? If he could be a general, I could be king. I bet I can take him on one on one in unarmed combat.

Soldiers like Colin Powell with his track record - you can respect. Farkers like the Neo guy cannot even measure up to the lowly private serving in Iraq.

 

[shelltox]

Is that to say that if you are not a general, you cannot be a commander in chief. At the end of the day, leadership is of utmost important.
Napoleon,Attila the Hun. Genghis Khan are all great generals but had caused alot of misery to their own people as well as their enemy

 

[The_Latest_H]

Most generals in modern days don't make good leaders. It doesn't mean that because you are a general, you become automatically a good politician. This is because times have changed rapidly since the early and middle ages.

I mean, in the past when news takes 4 weeks to travel from Xianyang to Beijing or even longer, Emperors can rule absolutely because of the lack of information, and the thinking and culture at that time.

Now you can't rule people thinking as if they are sheep. People are more knowledgeable because of the internet, ease of travel, increase in communication devices, and because of cross-cultural influences. The conservative military command and control culture clashes with that and therefore while a strict, top class general can command a single division or even the whole armed services as JCS Chairman(the US), whether or not can he become a capable President is up for question.

The last US general to win the Presidency was Dwight Eisenhower, and his era of his Presidency is getting close to its 60th anniversary. So that tells us how far away since a General managed to be elected President by the Americans. And its increasingly true that in most western countries, its the lawyers, the doctors, the economists, the businessmen/women, and diplomats who are becoming leaders in their fields, political or not, but especially in politics. For example, Obama is a trained lawyer; Blair is also one from Oxford. Kevin Rudd was trained as a diplomat, and went to China to work as an embassy staffer in the 80s.

These days, generals aren't the best choices around in the west.

 

[cocobobo]

how to compare like this? guess if he was sent to afgan, he might fight better than those who were there now? who knows?

i don't care how our general compare with powell.
but more importantly how he compares with our most immediate countries.
can someone post the credentials of the generals north and south of us?

 

[2lanu]

Compare and see what constitutes a true soldier. One a farkin "Pen pusher" put on the pedestal because of his academic achievements now earning big bucks masquerading as a "soldier" and another a true soldier that has seen it all, done it all.

It's common sense that people will ask what's the creditability of these paper general when come to real war!

And have you guys thought of that in times of war, it's the civilian that change to soldiers' gear and fight at battle front. Where will these paper general be? War times hiding in the command post do planning civilian to charge forward? And peace times enjoy cosy paycheck and bonus while again the civilian slog hard at their jobs and worry about being retrench?

Where is the logic?

 

[2lanu]

If he could be a general, I could be king. I bet I can take him on one on one in unarmed combat.

I like what you said. But somehow the old white scum think it is so and forcibly make it so for the rest to subscribe to it.

 

[Ernie]

I can imagine what the conversation will be like if Colin Powell meets Mickey Mouse Neo and monkey faced Liu Fuck Yew...

Powell: I own the defence distinguished medal, the bronze star medal, the purple heart for bravery shown on the battlefield in my two tours of Vietnam. I am a decorated soldier, led troops into battle in Korea and have been in military command in times of war. What is your greatest achievements?

Neo: Um... I was a top GCE A Level student.

Liu Fark Yew: Eh.... I have never watched porn.

 

[Ernie]

Is that to say that if you are not a general, you cannot be a commander in chief. At the end of the day, leadership is of utmost important.
Napoleon,Attila the Hun. Genghis Khan are all great generals but had caused alot of misery to their own people as well as their enemy

Napoleon, Attila, Genghis Khan were great warriors and soldiers who commanded immense respect from their troops for the bravery they show in battle.

Mickey mouse Neo has done fark all as a soldier.

 

[shelltox]

If my general or joint chief of staff is charging up the hill with me, then I would extremely worried. Charging up a hill and fighting in the jungles is tactical, what we need is a general who can plan and execute strategic battle plans.

 

[shelltox]

Mao Tze Tung was a great strategist who overcame the KMT and the Japanese to reunite the whole of China. However, as a leader he had caused millions to suffer from his "cultural revolution " and his "great leap forward" where millions died of famine and manmade disasters. Great warriors lead people to fight and win battles, great leaders lead their people to peace and posperity

 

[Ernie]

If my general or joint chief of staff is charging up the hill with me, then I would extremely worried. Charging up a hill and fighting in the jungles is tactical, what we need is a general who can plan and execute strategic battle plans.

Our generals can only plan National Day parades...

 

[Maverick01]

Our generals can only plan National Day parades...

thats the greatest honour and achievement in their career...mind u..dont belittle it..lol