Exercise Forging Sabre helps to build bonds between different SAF services
It was integration at Exercise Forging Sabre in more ways than one.
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/180713/1/.html
By Farah Abdul Rahim, Channel NewsAsia
It was integration at Exercise Forging Sabre in more ways than one.
Besides bringing together the different SAF elements and capabilities, living together at Camp Wilson in Twentynine Palms, California for the 12-day exercise also helped to build bonds between the officers on the ground as they coped with the harsh desert climate.
The half-cylindrical structures, or K-Spans, dot the landscape at Camp Wilson, which is part of the US Marine Corp Air Ground Combat Centre.
The K-Spans were a home away from home for some 300 SAF personnel who lived alongside their counterparts from the US Marine Corps.
26-year-old Dr Ooi Kiat Huat, as medical officer, looked after the medical needs of those at Exercise Forging Sabre.
He said: "Not just in an official capacity do we have to work together, we have to live together. For myself ordinarily, I won't get the chance to interact with so many commandos and despite the reputation as tough guys they are really nice! When we spend nearly 24 hours a day together, it's not hard to feel much closer to each other and when you see the guy half naked some of the time that helps as well."
The men and women on the ground also had to adapt to the weather which could hit a high of 40 degrees Celsius at midday but drop to as low as 4 degrees at night.
And even the American way of life - including driving the big Humvees - on the other side of the road.
Major Leong Chee Kheong, Head Ground Coordinator, Exercise Forging Sabre, said: "I was a driving instructor for the first few days to get the guys to get used to driving on the wrong side of the road in Singapore's context and understand their law like a four way stop."
More importantly, the exercise brought the army and air force closer together.
Major Leong said: "We understand each other's lingo more, we understand each other's processes more. Exercise Forging Sabre by its very name forged us in a closer bond. I've never attended any exercise that offered such an opportunity. Exercise Forging Sabre in its own way was a great platform to integrate the two services - land and air units."
While Exercise Forging Sabre may have come to an end, the work's not over yet as it's now time to pack up.
The 18-man administrative team will continue to stay there to sort out the logistics, bring everything home and return this part of Camp Wilson back to the US Marine Corps. - CNA /ch
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