MINDEF/ SAF Senior Commanders

last SG · 2007-03-12T22:56:09+00:00

tab have muslim section becoz got a malay f-16 pilot plab only have 1 prata shop malay auntie malay firemens the occasional malay ST technician that tow pla...

KoolKool SG

Yes, there is no doubt that our top military commanders are young and inexperience in war. I think the oldest guy we can find in Singapore may not have experienced leading troops to battle, so how ? Employ USA military commanders, is it ? The writer got to be joking !

Whoever said that you need to be shot 5 times in 10 wars before you can plan a battle ?

Manager433 SG

During my first ever trip to ROC in 1994, I had a chance to speak to some taiwanese cooks in their cook house. I was told tat in ROC, to get a rank of III ( Capt ), u must be at least 40 years old. Not too sure if they change the rules now. And the taiwanese soldiers even says our SAF Officers look just too ‘young’.

nightzip SG

If capt = 40 yrs old, then major = 45 yrs old, then half-colonel=50 yrs old, then col = 55 yrs old, then those generals are octogenarians? Laughing

And the 3-4 stars generals are century man....

nightzip SG

Precisely, we can be professional and efficient and deal stuff with the least blood shed...... people who cannot even give their soldiers proper care in hospitals and phychological help while there are in Iraq ....and rape girls and abuse citizens....

so these are what you refer to as experience? Laughing

If you get your thousands of your soliders killed while in war versus you are able to engage in diplomacy to averd war, does it mean the latter is more inexperienced?

kwlee SG

we promote fast, we retire fast. so u can be a taxi driver in the next phrase of ur life. Laughing

Manager433 SG

So you dun believe rite? Laughing This was in 1994 when I was in ROC. While q up in the cookhse for lunch, a few taiwanese soldiers chatting wif me. Cool A Capt will be in his late 30s or almost 40 yrs of aged. A Major in his mid/late 40s, LTC and a COL in his late40s/early 50s. Its a fact in ROC, all GENERALs are in their mid or late 50s. Neber see before meh? Go ask any taiwanese who did their NS.

LazerLordz SG

It’s sheer arrogance to merely pick the worse of the US Army and pitch it against the best of what the SAF can do.

walesa SG

While I'm not entirely familiar with the inner mechanisms of the Singapore army, it is not hard to understand where the author's coming from.

Think about it : in most developed countries, the leaders of the respective armed forces are schooled in military academies preparing them for a career in the military (and that includes the world's leading military force, that of the US) and not one in another domain, only to be deployed in the military later on.

While one might draw parallels that the likes of Colin Power has transited from military leadership to a top post in a civilian administration, it doesn't alter the fact the system, by and large, trains individuals for that particular field (you don't see top US generals having been schooled at Harvard and Yale Law School for instance) - in essence, anyone with ability in a given field can rise through the ranks to the highest post of a given field in the US. That, unfortunately, can hardly be said about Singapore - let's face it, Colin Powell would never have become a general if he'd been born in Singapore since the posts of generals are reserved primarily for the academically-inclined who might not have the slightest nuances/acumen for the military... Wink To better get a grasp of what the author is driving at, try imagining having a Harvard Law School graduate administer treatment to you if you had cancer... Laughing

airgrinder SG

Frankly, I dun see the point why some of you are for the US bugger. US and SG are two different countries with two different defense policy.

What if our CPTs are 40s and our BGs are 60s. Can they command better in wars or plan better strategies?

So what if you have a war-experienced BGs with war-experienced officers leading NS soldiers to battle? Would we fight better?

So is anyone suggesting we participate in future wars, so that our soldiers are "battle harden" with "war experience"? The idea wun even make it through government as your parents will complain like mad!!!

Something I've read some wise guy in a book about the cold war (which I can't remember) talks about experience and effectiveness is not related in a linear graph; but convex. There is a point where increase in experience is not proportionally equal to increase in effectiveness. If this is true, then tiger woods would never have won anyone older and started playing golf earlier than him.

So what if a particular sales agent has 20 years of sales experience, it is not to say he'll win the younger junior sales execs every month.

The key is not so much about experience. It's about ability.

Arapahoe SG

i think this article need to study from the perspective from military standpoint not poltical or race. Nevertheless it could be a point the US is trying to point out that Mindef need to seriously consider the experience issue.

but I think there are 2 keys area that need to address by SAF.

The experience issue. The question become should we send our career solider in harms way to learn the hard knock of War to gain the knowledge of battlefield. No matter how realistics is the training, it is always different when a person is go thru war zone.

2nd is the racial card issue. It is clear that any conflict arise with neighbouring country will touch on race. Gov has always face a delima as they discovered that if we are more Singaporean we are less lean towards the chinese heritage, less value on the chinese tradition and its value, and all its virture will be lost, including Indian and Malay, at least the next few generation will reflect that characteristics.

but the more racial divide we are, we are less of a nation. - Singaporean.

I recall couple of years ago when the Malay parent were trying to insist on the headscarf. CNN reported them as Malaysian. But they were Singapore citizen with ethnic Malay. Not Malaysian.

So the world outside cannot tell the different between a Singapore malay vs a Malaysian.

Rock^Star SG

MINDEF's reply is certainly very diplomatic. Who can blame them. It's only a sensible thing to do.

Truth is there are no malays in armour and artillery. And check out their numbers in Police and Civil Defence.

Anyway, young may mean inexperience but it does not equate to a lack of ability. One may be old but he could just be a stubborn old co.ck too. If one thinks that a person may hold senior appointments based on age seniority, then may no one pity this sheer ignorance.

Kenashi SG

no lah, we r very well trained in the urban jungle, we can find food here anytime Laughing

Kenashi SG

there r damn few malay officers in the armed force that's for sure.
once, i went to a OCS pass out parade, there is only 1 malay out of a cohort of 200+
Laughing

tanhs8 SG

wonder many usa generals had war exp.well there are more malay soccer players in the national team.guess malay like soccer as carrer

LazerLordz SG

2nd is the racial card issue. It is clear that any conflict arise with neighbouring country will touch on race. Gov has always face a delima as they discovered that if we are more Singaporean we are less lean towards the chinese heritage, less value on the chinese tradition and its value, and all its virture will be lost, including Indian and Malay, at least the next few generation will reflect that characteristics.

Is being more Singaporean a bad thing? Why should we always put race and ethnicity above building a common identity?

Go think about it. Who loses out if the people are united and bonded from the citizen up, and not top down. Laughing

LazerLordz SG

A gentle reminder, any posts that are racist in nature will be removed

Icemoon SG

Actually I don't get it.

Aren't the majority of the Malays deployed in the SIRs?

They will be at the frontline killing people with the same race as them.

At least pilot bomb people don't need to see face.

menoob SG

since when there r malay commandos?

any current commandos wanna comment?

pilotsnoopy SG

how many chinese are there in neighbouring forces?
use ur brain.

Rockhound SG

arty got malays...

the gunners...

men oni uh...havent seen malay commanders in arty....

armour....dun have

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