So, how is the relation between the civilians and the military in your country? For example, related to civilians:
1. There is a problem with your methodology. You survey individuals and ask them to speak on behalf of groups/countries. An individual may a valid opinion but his opinion may not be representative of a group or a country.
2. I can only speak for myself, as a citizen of Singapore (who has completed my service obligations to my country).
1 - Do they respect the armed forces?
3. In general, yes, because that respect has been earned locally and abroad through
numerous acts of service.
4. Units of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), each as a fist of fury, have reached out to our neighbours and friends as hands-of-hope, at their time of need. For a brief 3 minute introduction, on some
acts of service in overseas operations, see: [nomedia]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Hx1LFCUxOQ[/nomedia]. The SAF has conducted a consistent tempo of operations abroad, including deploying:
(i) 998 service personnel to Iraq and the Northern Arabian Gulf for 5 years (from 2004 to 2008) under Operation Blue Orchid (in support of coalition efforts in Iraq). All three services contributed in the following areas:
Navy: 5x deployments of Endurance Class LPDs for the seaward defence of Iraq for 300 days
against suicide boat attacks - which included NDU boarding teams conducting routine inspection of ships and dhows for explosives and other threats to protect Iraqi's two oil terminals. The Singapore Navy also trained the Iraqi Navy and helped them extend their operating range by refueling their patrols boats at sea (see this video on SAF in Iraq: [nomedia]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpC4TTkT8Iw[/nomedia] );
Air Force: 1x C-130 deployment for 2 months carrying men, cargo and equipment and performing evasive manoeuvres for about 1/3 of their 29 missions completed in 190 hrs of flight time (in the above video, you can see the force protection team deployed with the C-130); 5x KC-135R deployments for 3 months, each, all facing the danger of short-range SAM attacks with 303 missions completed in 1,800 hrs of flight time, refuelling 1,400 coalition aircraft (see also: [nomedia]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUstvXSytRc[/nomedia] ); and
Army: 4 officers, each, serving a 6 month tour under coalition command in Iraq;
(ii) 1,500 service personnel to provide humanitarian assistance to Indonesia and Thailand after the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami under Operation Flying Eagle. In the case of the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami, the SAF's contributions were as follows:
(a) Commander 21st Division (a 1 star) and his command staff were deployed to Banda Aceh in support humanitarian operations under Operation Flying Eagle. Within days of the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami, the 21st Division (Singapore Guards) landed a reinforced battalion size force, in multiple phases - with combat engineers creating beach-heads, clearing roads of debris and providing drinking water; with medical and surgical teams providing care for the injured; with a command team to plan and manage the massive logistics required to help the locals.
(b) RSS Endurance was the first foreign navy ship to re-establish a life-line to Meulaboh (a coastal town in West Sumatra that was previously completely cut off after the tsunami). Singapore's contributions to Indonesia included the deployment of three Endurance Class LPDs, eight CH-47 Chinooks and four Super Pumas, six C-130s, two F-50s, a mobile air traffic control tower (see this video: [nomedia]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jnZVrs5Sjp4#t=436[/nomedia] ).
(c) With host nation support in Singapore, US Commands (Commander, Logistics Group Western Pacific and Naval Regional Contracting Center Singapore) worked 24/7 to surge supply capacity in support of the humanitarian effort in Operation Unified Assistance.
(d) During the conduct of Operation Unified Assistance by US PACOM, two SAF officers proficient in Bahasa Indonesia, with in-depth knowledge of Indonesian culture, psyche, and sensitivities to the presence of foreign military forces, were posted as Liaison Officers to enable the US to deliver aid to Indonesia with less fiction;
(iii) 60 service personnel (a 30 strong engineering team and a 30 strong medical team) to Pariaman and Padang, Indonesia to provide medical aid and build two clinics after the September 2009 earthquake under Operation Swift Lion;
(iv) 116 service personnel who were in Christchurch for Exercise LionWalk when the March 2011 Christchurch earthqake struck and were activated to assist in NZDF's conduct of relief operations. Two C-130Hs and a KC-135R also delivered a 55-strong Urban Search and Rescue Team and four search dogs from the Singapore Civil Defence Force to search for trapped survivors;
(v) 492 service personnel for 6 years of continuous operations across three provinces in Afghanistan under Operation Blue Ridge (from 2007 to 2013). In recognition of the work done from 2007 to 2013, a number of SAF officers have been awarded US military decorations for their meritorious service in Afghanistan.
(a) These include: Lt. Colonel Mohd Fahmi Bin Aliman (US Joint Service Commendation Medal - 2013), and Major Cai Dexian (US Army Bronze Star - 2012).
(b) The four officers were awarded US Army Commendation Medal were as follows: Lt. Colonel Lock Wai Leck, Willy (2012), Lt. Colonel Chan Ming Hoe (2012), Major Wong Wei Han, Gareth (2011), and Major Lim Kian Peng, Adrian (2011).
(c) Not to forget, Colonel Mike Tan (US Army Meritorious Service Medal), who served as a Strategic Planner in the J5 Directorate of the US Central Command where he participated in planning in Operation Enduring Freedom, many years ago.
For details on Operation Blue Ridge, see: [nomedia]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1KnsrozJfw[/nomedia]; and
(vi) 1,200 service personnel for counter piracy missions (which are still ongoing since 2009 and a fifth task group will be sent from March to June 2014 as part of the multi-national Combined Task Force 151) to secure our SLOCs or sea lines of communications under Operation Blue Sapphire.
5. The SAF and the Home Team have important roles in homeland defence (see details on Ex. Highcrest,
here and
here). In a written reply to parliamentary questions on measures to prevent terrorist attacks on shopping malls, the
Deputy Prime Minister, Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs stated the following:-
"The Westgate Mall attack indicates a continuing trend of terror groups attacking soft targets including hotels, malls and schools. Soft targets are by definition assets that are either not protected or not protected to a high level. They are usually open to the public with little access control. As there are numerous potential soft targets in a country, it is neither feasible nor possible for a nation’s security forces to directly protect them all...
Our approach is to invest resources in effective and proactive security solutions involving multi-layer security deployment, community engagement aimed at early detection of potential threats, and public vigilance and preparedness programmes...
...Building owners can also refer to MHA Guidelines for Enhancing Building Security in Singapore (GEBSS)... Commercial, industrial and government buildings deploy trained private security personnel to detect potential threats and deal with terror scenarios. Under “Project Guardian”, the Police provides training... more than 5,500 private security personnel and employees have been trained...
...We must remain vigilant and do our part to deter and prevent any terrorist attack at all times."
6.
Military service and the training it entails carries with it some random risk of death or serious injury. Every Singaporean family who learns about a training incident would be able to commiserate with the family reeling from the loss of their loved one. In their hearts, they know that serving NS carries risk and someday, the bearer of bad news could come knocking on their own front door. In the period from
2001 to 2010, 42 Singaporeans died in peacetime military training. The longest fatality-free window period was 401 days (which stretched from 2009 to 2010). This means that on average, 4.2 Singaporeans die serving NS each year. Therefore, the SAF's military capability is written with the blood of Singaporeans.
2 - Do they fear the armed forces, i.e. they think there might be a coup or too much influence over the government? (And if you live under a military government, would you please tell me how they treat their people?)
7. No, there is no undue fear of the military in a rule-of-law country like Singapore.
8. One of the most popular things that the SAF does for our country is organising a large scale musical show, each year (with a small parade and ceremonies segment) - it's called the National Day Parade (or NDP) held on August 9 of each year (see this Singaporean music video produced for total defence: [nomedia]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4ZwxkruidA[/nomedia]). The music video captures the emotional connection, very well.
[nomedia]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWvuEwj1eVo[/nomedia]
9. The SAF is an important national institution in our city-state; and service to the nation via conscription for a period of two-years in active service (aka National Service or NS) and ten years in the operational reserves (with annual currency training and mobilisation requirements) for Every Singaporean Son (see link to the trailer of the 18 part National Geographic Channel Documentary - [nomedia]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DqWbcQNKNTo[/nomedia]) is an important part of our national identity.
10. See this short video celebrating 45 years of NS: [nomedia]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UiK0ynwt4Fg[/nomedia].
3 - Do they care about the armed forces?
11. Yes, in a broader non-specific sense, as every Singaporean son is required to bear arms. There is political will to stack the odds in favour of our country's sons in operational deployments, via training and equipping. Further, in a time of crisis (eg. pandemic outbreaks, terrorist incidents or cyber attacks that disrupt physical services), the SAF has a vital national role. Singapore’s fight against the severe acute respiratory syndrome (
SARS) is a good example of a time of crisis. In 2003, the SAF Medical Corp was instrumental in strategizing SAF and MINDEF health and operational policies, as well as directing the complex operations within the SAF Medical Corps. The outbreak of SARS in Singapore began in February 2003 when a young woman who had been infected while holidaying in Hong Kong returned to Singapore. She set off a series of transmission events here that spread the SARS virus to 238 people, 33 of whom died. Besides Singapore, more than 20 other countries also reported SARS cases during this global epidemic (see the SARS Diaries:
Chapter 1,
Chapter 2 and
Chapter 3 for details).
[nomedia]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Mju1FRK39k[/nomedia]
[nomedia]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPEx_5F7jw8[/nomedia]
During the 2003 SARS pandemic outbreak and in keeping with our national character, Singaporeans managed their fear, did their jobs, and demonstrated their community spirit during the crisis. Volunteers came forward to help in various ways, such as conducting temperature checks at public events and helping those who had been quarantined at home. Individuals and organisations also donated generously to the Courage Fund, which was set up to help healthcare workers and victims of SARS. To build resilience, there is a national effort to educate Singaporeans on various issues, including personal choices made during a crisis (eg. a pandemic outbreak, a terrorist incident or a cyber attack that disrupt physical services) in an interactive website called:
Let's stand together.
12. You may not know that the Singapore Army conducts 46 major exercises in 10 countries (see: [nomedia]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLPtUh9TebQ[/nomedia]).
or do they just think it`s all a waste of government money, which could be better spent on something else?
13. IMHO, this is not a real question.
14. As the smallest nation by land size (714.3 square kilometres), Singapore's 2012 defence budget of US$9.7 billion (3.5% of GDP) is the largest in South East Asia; and it is the largest item on our country's national budget (above education or healthcare as a budget item).
15. It is clear that some nations in Asia have taken a wider view and preparing for a range of contingencies. Border disputes and flashpoints are sources of tension, and sometimes threats can mutate and arise from an unexpected direction. These threats, and opportunities for partnership in meeting these threats, in Asia include:-
(i) the Mumbai terrorist attack (from 26 to 29 November 2008) by members of Lashkar-eTayyiba, that killed 164 people and wounded at least 308 others;
(ii) the sinking of the Republic of Korea Navy, corvette Cheonan on 26 March 2010, in the Yellow Sea just south of the disputed Northern Limit Line, killing 46 South Korean seamen;
(iii) the killing of 76 Indian para-military policemen and the wounding 50 others, in Chattisgarh's Dantewada district in India on 6 April 2010, by the Naxalites (a Maoist terrorist movement located in the states of Jharkhand, West Bengal and Odisha);
(iv) the bombardment of Yeonpyeong Island on 23 November 2010, where, a North Korean artillery attack killed four South Koreans and injured 19 others;
(v) the
Thai-Cambodian conflict at the Preah Vihear temple re-ignited in February 2011 and April to May 2011; that saw a number killed, and the evacuation of thousands of residents on both sides of the border to safe-zones (because of artillery shelling and skirmishes);
(vi) the February/March 2011 non-combatant evacuation of Chinese citizens from Libya involving the dispatch of a Jiangkai-II class frigate and the deployment of four PLA Air Force Il-76 transport aircraft to the south of Libya (via Khartoum as a stopover on both the inbound and outbound legs of the trip) to extract Chinese citizens was unprecedented;
(vii) the January 2013 India–Pakistan border incidents, where a series of armed skirmishes occurred along the Line of Control in the disputed Kashmir area, that resulted in a number of deaths on both sides; and
(viii) the invasion of Lahad Datu, Sabah by over a hundred armed Filipino gunmen (from the Tausug community) on 12 February 2013. The killing of Malaysian police by these gunmen resulted in the Malaysian Armed Forces having to conduct clearing operations with armour supported by artillery and close air support that continued till April 2013.
16. As
Graham Allison and Robert Blackwill, writing in the Council of Foreign Relations on 13 February 2013, noted:-
[nomedia]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hcCWTizN6wQ[/nomedia]
"Most everyone in Washington has an opinion about the rise of Chinese power and what the U.S. should do about it... too few ask what others more qualified to have thoughtful views think about the issue.
Consider the toughest questions about the rise of China, the future of Asia and the impact of developments there on the U.S. Who is most qualified to have informed, insightful answers? For people in the know, the unanimous first choice is: Lee Kuan Yew. Founding father of modern Singapore and its prime minister from 1959 to 1990, Lee Kuan Yew has served as mentor to every Chinese leader from Deng Xiaoping to Xi Jinping and as counselor to every American president from Richard Nixon to Barack Obama...
...As Henry Kissinger says in the foreword to our new book, “Lee Kuan Yew: The Grand Master’s Insights on China, the United States, and the World”: “I have had the privilege of meeting many world leaders over the past half-century; none, however, has taught me more than Lee Kuan Yew.” China’s new leader, Xi Jinping, calls Lee “our senior who has our respect.” President Obama refers to him as a “legendary figure of Asia in the 20th and 21st centuries.” For former Prime Minister Tony Blair, he is “the smartest leader I ever met.”
17. For a quick look at Singapore Government's perspective on the rest of the world and the factors underpinning stability in Asia (including the importance of America’s forward military presence and China’s economic liberalisation acting as a growth engine for the wider region), see this 2012 CNN interview with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong by Fareed Zakaria below, as a starting point:-
[nomedia]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sK9nY2GfgYY[/nomedia]
[nomedia]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBHvBORJZ0A[/nomedia]
18. What does Eduardo Saverin (Brazilian citizen and co-founder of Facebook), Jim Rogers (American investor and author), and Jet Lee (Hollywood Actor and chairman of One Foundation) have in common? They all live in Singapore.
