During the early morning hours of 26 December 2004, an undersea earthquake measuring 9.0 on the Richter scale occurred under the Indian Ocean, generating a tsunami that was destined to inflict one of the deadliestnatural disasters in modern history. Within hours, the shores of Indonesia, as well as many other countries with a coast along the Indian Ocean, were devastated by the massive waves. As many as 300,000 people have perished in the disaster.

By John Yip

Life for the survivors was no less grim. Starvation and disease threatened to add to the already high death toll. Relief agencies around the world went into immediate action to send humanitarian aid to the survivors. All three Services of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) were activated in Singapore’s tsunami relief operation, codenamed Operation Flying Eagle.

The RSS Endurance, one of the Landing Ship Tanks (LST) in the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN), took part in the operation. I spoke to CPT Vincent Yeo and 2SG Joann Tay, both of whom serve onboard the RSS Endurance, to learn about their experience, and also to find out more about their careers in the Navy.

Can you describe your roles onboard the RSS Endurance?

CPT Vincent: I am the Executive Officer of the RSS Endurance. That means that I am second-in-command of the ship. My role is to assist the Commanding Officer in running the day-to-day activities and operations onboard the ship. These include everything from manpower, training to logistics. It is my job to ensure the safety of the ship and its crew, and to make sure that all operations are running smoothly.

2SG Joann: I’m one of the Specialists onboard the RSS Endurance. I specialise in electrical systems. My main role onboard the ship is to ensure that all the electrical systems are working fine, especially when we are preparing to go out to sea and when we’re at sea.

The RSS Endurance played an active role in the tsunami relief operations in Aceh. Can you describe what it was like?

CPT Vincent: The role of the RSS Endurance was to sealift the humanitarian aid from Singapore to Meulaboh, Aceh, as part of the larger disaster relief operation.
2SG Joann: The operation was very different from anything that we had done before. Timing was critical, so everything had to be done within a short time. The planning and loading of all assets were completed within 72 hours. It was a very challenging experience.

CPT Vincent: During Operation Flying Eagle, the main challenge was in managing the complexity of the operation. The mission was time critical and we had very little time for planning, preparation and execution of the mission. This mission also saw the involvement of the all 3 services of the SAF – the Army, the Air Force and the Navy. As we had already trained together on many joint exercises, we possessed a close working relationship with the Army and the Air Force.

For example, the RSS Endurance was used as a landing platform for helicopters during the operation, these helicopters’ pilots are from the Air Force. We also assisted the Army by sending their engineers, medical teams and the guardsmen ashore. The entire operation was a good opportunity for the ship to operate in a multi-task and multi-role environment.

It was also an eye-opener for many of the ship’s crew. This has been the largest international relief operation conducted anywhere in the world, and for us in the SAF, the size of the humanitarian response touched our hearts. It motivated us to do our best to help the victims of the tsunami.

You are both diploma graduates. What has your career in the Navy been like so far?

2SG Joann: I took up the Joint Polytechnic-SAF Diploma Scheme (JPSDS) during my first year in Mechatronic Engineering at Ngee Ann Polytechnic. The benefit was that the Navy took care of my tuition fees. They also paid me an allowance, which allowed me to focus on my studies, and not worry about my finances. I started training during my vacations, which allowed me to feel a sense of belonging to the Navy. The training took up only a few days each vacation, and its purpose was to help me stay current with the different systems being used in the Navy. It was also a useful opportunity for me to apply what I have learnt in school. After graduation, I was trained as a Navy Systems Specialist for about 3 months. At the end of the 3 months, I was posted to the RSS Endurance, where I was given another 3 months of training to master the ship’s electronic systems.

CPT Vincent: I studied Marine Engineering at Singapore Polytechnic. This has given me an advantage in my career, because I am familiar with the engineering aspects of running a ship. Upon graduation, I took the chance to serve as a marine engineer cadet onboard a merchant ship. I completed 7 months of service, and realised that I loved the life at sea.

After that, I was enlisted into National Service, where I was fortunate to emerge as the Platoon Best Recruit during my Basic Military Training(BMT). I was offered the Officer Cadet Course (OCS), so I decided to sign on as a Navy Officer. I progressed to the Midshipman School after the Tri-Service term of OCS. I was deployed on midshipman sea training, where I sailed to 4 different countries, namely Japan, Thailand, Brunei and China, while receiving my training onboard the LST. After that, I proceeded to my Advanced Naval term, where I was taught other professional subjects that a Naval Officer need to know, such as navigation, seamanship, meteorology and so on, before finally being commissioned as an Officer.

I served my tours as a Navigation Officer, Communications Officer, and Operations Officer onboard the RSS Resolution (also an LST) for 3 years, before being posted to the RSS Endurance, as the Executive Officer. Till date, my career in the Navy is not only a fulfilling one, but also a meaningful one. I was fortunate to participate in overseas mission like the peace support operations in Iraq as well as the recent humanitarian aid disaster relief operations in Aceh. All these have also widen my horizons on life.

Why did you choose a career with the Navy?

CPT Vincent: I believe it’s because I love leading a life at sea. Joann and myself chose to serve onboard a Landing Ship Tank, because we get to travel to many different countries and experience different cultures, meet different people. The RSS Endurance has sailed round the world, and docked at 13 different countries during a 4 months long voyage. It was an opportunity to showcase the capabilities of the ship, and put into practice what we have learnt. The crewmembers were also expected to act as ambassadors for Singapore, and we all learnt how to behave with the correct etiquette. I also believe that I’m drawn to the family life onboard a ship. The sense of camaraderie is very strong, where the older guys will help out the younger guys who have just joined the service.

2SG Joann: Service in the Navy definitely helps to build your character. Through your service in the Navy, you will encounter many different challenges, and experience many different things.

For me, there is the daily challenge of maintaining the electrical systems onboard a ship, to make sure that defects do not occur. There is the challenge of dealing with human relationships – you have to handle your family whenever you go on long trips abroad. Learning to maintain your emotions is also another challenge.

Do you have any advice for polytechnic students who are considering a career in the Navy?

CPT Vincent: If you are an all rounded person and who does not like a desk bound career and wants to make a difference in your own and somebody’s life, I urge you to take up the challenge to serve in the Navy. The Navy will mould you into fine gentlemen and ladies and definitely, widen your horizons on life.