wow, my lao ban is inside leh. *salutes* 
The sparkling new field camp on Pulau Tekong consumed 1200
truckloads of construction material and 180 truckloads of cement
mix. It took the Construction Engineer Company (CEC) from Our
Army's Combat Engineers only slightly more than a year to build. At
its Handing and Taking Over Ceremony on 25 September, Commander 9th
Division/Chief Infantry Officer, BG Winston Toh, symbolically paid
the CEC for their earth-moving efforts when he presented a plaque
with an encased one-dollar coin to Chief Engineer Officer, COL Teo
Jing Siong.
Chief Engineer Officer, COL Teo Jing Siong explained in his speech,
"Sanyongkong Field Camp was conceived to allow units to train over
long periods in Tekong without having to return to the mainland.
This would thus increase training efficiency and reduce operating
costs."
COL Teo added humorously, "In other words, it allows us to conduct
overseas training without really going overseas, except for
crossing the little strip of water at the end of Changi. Although
it's no Hilton, it will provide a comfortable night's rest for our
soldiers to recharge for the next day's training."
Named after a nearby area called Kampong Sanyongkong, the
Sanyongkong Field Camp is a testimony to the professionalism and
skills of our Combat Engineers. With technical assistance from the
Defence Science and Technology Agency, the CEC was able to complete
the project in good time. BG Toh said in his speech, "348 days ago,
the only population here was mosquitos and a few boars at night.
Now, we are able to sit in the shade with fans blowing at us, with
buildings all around." Indeed, the Sanyongkong field camp boasts
its very own battalion headquarters, medical post and electricity
generator, as well as bunks and proper toilets for five companies'
worth of troops. As summed up by COL Teo, "The construction of
Sanyongkong Field Camp was by no means an easy feat."
It has been a long 14 months for the Officer Commanding CEC, CPT
Seng Chor Chow. He said, "We have spent 14 months on Pulau Tekong,
transforming a big plot of vegetation into a fully equipped
operational base. More importantly, we have grown from a group of
soldiers with little knowledge or skills to the potent construction
force we are today." Indeed, COL Teo has high hopes for the CEC. He
said, "I can see the CEC taking up more projects to meet our Army's
future training requirements. This is a win-win situation for both
the CEC and Our Army. Not only will this allow the CEC to further
hone their skills, Our Army will be able to renew training
facilities at minimal cost."
