The days of NSmen reservist soldiers spending countless hours
installing and dismantling communications equipment for training
exercises look set to be over. They are also not likely to be
saddled with washing armoured vehicles.
According to tender documents obtained by The Straits Times, the
Ministry of Defence (Mindef) is looking for civilian companies to
take over these time-consuming tasks, to further enhance national
service (NS) training efficiency.
These tasks are currently carried out by armoured troops or tank
crew before and after an outfield training exercise.
The outsourcing to civilian contractors will free up
operationally ready national servicemen (NSmen) to focus on honing
their combat skills.
According to the documents, the civilian contractors will be
expected to handle an average of 510 tracked vehicles a year, and
will be responsible for mounting and dismantling equipment from the
vehicles and washing them.
For a start, staff from private commercial companies will take
over these tasks for selected major exercises for NSmen.
"These efforts allow for a faster turnover of vehicles required
to support NS training," said Colonel Lam Sheau Kai, commander of
the Combat Service Support Command.
It typically takes nine men up to four hours to dismantle
communications equipment from the Bionix armoured infantry fighting
vehicle and hose it down.
The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) is also increasingly handing
over the management and warehousing of combat equipment or stores
in training institutes to civilian contractors.
The latest contract up for bidding requires civilian contractors
to take over the management and warehousing of combat equipment or
stores in the Motorised Infantry Training Institute.
Col Lam said store management has already been outsourced in
units such as the Army Logistics Base, Safti Military Institute and
2nd People's Defence Force.
Outsourcing non-core jobs is something the SAF began doing in
the 1970s, to allow its servicemen to focus on combat training.
Tasks such as fitness instruction, cookhouse operations and
aircraft maintenance are now carried out by civilian
contractors.
Government agencies, such as the
police, civil defence
force and the Immigration and
Checkpoints Authority, also do some outsourcing. However, the
issuance and management of ammunition is done solely by the
military.
The SAF said civilian contractors are put through stringent
security checks before they are appointed, to ensure operational
security is not compromised.
While outsourcing helps soldiers to perfect their combat skills,
Ms Ellen Lee, a member of the Government Parliamentary Committee
for Defence and Foreign Affairs, said doing some of these manual
chores can help toughen up soldiers.
"It is through such manual work that you can build that sense of
discipline and pride. You also get to know your vehicle better.
Such knowledge will come in very useful in battle, too," she
said.
OPERATIONS OUTSOURCED
» Cookhouse operations
» Aircraft maintenance
» Fitness instruction:
» Civilian fitness instructors at SAF training institutes and
fitness conditioning centres
»
Firing-range
operations
» Logistics management and warehousing
WHAT COULD BE OUTSOURCED SOON
» Mounting and dismantling of equipment from armoured vehicles
during NSmen's in-camp training
» Washing of armoured tracked vehicles
This article was first published on Dec 22, 2014.
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