1st medical squadron at sambawang air base

milany SG

hi all,
I'm posted there after passing out from medic specialist course. Heard that I will be a part of Search & Rescue Team . May I know what i can expect from that vocation? what's the job scope of S&R and what are the benefit of joining this unit.
Many thanks!!

eac SG

24hrs standby if on duty that day. got chance to sit chopper ... but until u sian for the rest of ur ns time.

air base at times xiong at times slack depending on whether got military exercises, needs the air base for support. and as 3sg medic, got work during the stupid iqa 1 and 2 (iso certification audit by hqmc pple)

kopiosatu SG

sembawang, not sambawang Laughing
SAR, not S&R

u can ask borntolive

dun worry about SAR, standby and pick up dead/dying bodies.

while on duty you might get activated at shit timings like 0300hrs, come back 0630

kopiosatu SG

other than that, you're a regular medic at our medical centre.
you still have to stand around while people take IPPT. Laughing

milany SG

oh ok..what kind of course do i get to attend? Will i get any off days??

Rockhound SG

u damn lucky sia…..i asked to be posted there last time…end up in a leg unit

Ponders SG

if you are damn lucky, get to fly outside singapore.. to rescue distressed ships.

milany SG

i heard that i need to attend JCC in brunei, is it true?

kopiosatu SG

what off days you want Rolling Eyes

birthday off?
SAR off?
suka suka give you day off?

borntolive SG

OMFG!!!! Laughing

geodome SG

Haha.. It is nice to see someone talking about my NS unit online.. I spent 2 years there at 1MS. It has been a few years since I have ORDed. If you are wondering, yes, we are the medics who wear fly-suits and sunglasses too.

The description above is pretty accuate as we are one of the smallest unit in RSAF and probably SAF and we are too specialised for other units to share with our duties. On top of providing medical cover during airbase flying hours (which usually end at 10pm), we have to provide Search And Rescue cover for military and civilian affairs. We are so small that practically half the unit's manpower is on duty everyday. The very least I can say of my time there was unlike most NS units, I have experienced real military operations and actual life-and-death situations whereby my medical training becomes relevant.

During my time there, I have experienced collision disaster (RSS Courageous - we were the first rescue team to arrive at the scene), SARS Epidemic (We evacuated and inspected Seamen with SARS entering Singapore), Accidents at Oil Rigs in South China Sea and SOS Calls. We were even on standby when a group of armed robbers swam onto Pulau Tekong. My favourite time when I go for joint joint Air-Navy exercises and Air-Army Exercises as we always get preferential treatment. Air-Navy exercises are the best - it is literally a 3-weeks cruise with excellent onboard cuisine and we simulate CSAR missions. The best part is many times during Air-Navy exercise, we were actually rerouted to attend to real medical emergencies as we are located so near.

SAR Medics fall into 2 categories - HEME and CSAR.

Everyone will be trained for CSAR (Combat Search and Rescue). As part of CSAR training, medics have to attend:
1. Jungle Survival Training (Brunei)
2. Helicopter Underwater Escape Training (Changi)
3. Navigation Exercise (Mandai & Tekong)
4. Helicopter Skills Training (train with the Aircrew Specialist trainees, whereby you will learn how to operate as an Aircrew Specialist in both Superpuma and the Chinook)
5. Combat Medic Spec II (for you to gain 3SG rank)

An ordinary SAR mission consists of 2 pilots, 2 aircrews, 1 doctor and 1 medic. In the case of CSAR, there is an additional crew of 4 commandos. We ocasionally train with commandos for simulation of combat situation.

HEME (Heli Medical Evacuation) requires additional training over CSAR as you will need to know how to operate advanced medical equipment such as the ALSMU (Advanced Life Support Medical Unit) - the portable version of the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Hence, not all medics become HEME, but mostly CSAR. But the long term plan is that eventually all CSAR medics will become HEME trained during their reservice.

PS: I am CSAR if you are wondering.

Rockhound SG

heaven sia...like US Parajumpers...without the jumping....arhhh...y was i posted to a leg unit..hahahaha

milany SG

thanks grodome for the very detailed explanation..it really helps me alot when someone experienced gives me guidance on such stuff. Thanks!!! Laughing

geodome SG

Life there has "worsened" due to higher training standards now.

I hope you won't cry when you find out you still have to:
1. practise IV with fellow medics
2. undergo physical training 2 times a week after office hours
3. practise building BCS once a month
4. go for range (your unit still wants you to be a M16 marksman)
5. the random medical emergency drill we always get (few times a month)

The best memory I ever had was during a medical emergency drill, our simulated patient was this really fat clerk who actually dosed off. The RSM actually blowed his top and scolded him really loud - the clerk still never work up. There was also another where we had triple dose of bad luck. While we were simulating an emergency, we actually had to respond to actual medical emergency on the airbase (some old encik had a stroke) and a SOS call simultaneously. While some of us waited for the old encik to arrive, we had to re-prepare the treatment room as some equipment were already expended during the drill while 2 medical teams were dispatched. We had no doctors in the medical centre due to 2 simultaneous emergencies, so we had to request for doctors from HQ Medical Corp. LOL. I'm sure u can imagine the state of confusion then and the level of stress we had to deal then.

Plus you have to provide normal medic duties, such as:
1. run the medical centre (admin, ambulance, treatment, dispensary, MOPA)
2. provide medical cover for airbase activities (Range Training for RP)
3. provide RT Cover for Reservice who failed their IPPT (at Khatib Camp)
3. tend to "civilians" from Sembawang Country Club (who usually turn to be high ranking military officer or high ranking civil servants in civilian clothing)

Then you will ask yourself this question: "I thought air force is supposed to be slack. Why I still have so many things to do and I am on duty every other day?" LOL

borntolive SG

hmm i think times have changed liao, its quite different

milany SG

yah, i’ve agree that 1ms changed alot through the years. No longer they requires us to be proficient in shooting, nor we need to go through JCC anymore. But helicopter escape and daily emergency drill are still a must.