Commandos are Best Combat Unit for the 39th time
Commandos are Best Combat Unit for the 39th time
SINGAPORE – The 1st Commando Battalion is the Best Combat Unit in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) again, and it has no intention of slowing down.
In a statement from the Ministry of Defence (Mindef) on June 28 announcing the win, the unit's commander, Lieutenant-Colonel Kok Yi Long, said: 'The standard is high, and that is exactly where we intend to keep it.'
Winning 22 times in a row did not happen by chance, he said.
He said: 'It happened because every commando believed in the mission, pushed beyond limits in a calculated manner, and refused to settle for less.
'It is about a culture built over time, sustained by teamwork, discipline, and an unyielding commitment to excellence.'
The unit does not strive for awards but to be better and ready to defend Singapore, he added.
The special forces unit, which wears the distinctive red berets, is trained for various missions including airborne operations, reconnaissance and raids.
In all, this is their 39th win since the competition was introduced in 1969.
On July 1, the SAF will honour its best units with President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and Defence Minister Mr Chan Chun Sing presenting the awards to the winners at the SAF Day Parade at the SAFTI Military Institute.
A total of 18 active units and 12 National Service (NS) units across the SAF are being recognised for their achievements.
Awards include Best Combat Support Unit – won by the 17th Command, Control, Communications, Computers and Intelligence Battalion, and the Best Air Engineering Unit, won by 811 Squadron .
Some NS units that will be honoured include the 114th Command, Control, Communications, Computers and Intelligence Battalion which is the Best NS C4I Unit and 489th Battalion, Singapore Armoured Regiment, the Best NS Armour Unit.
This year's Best Fighter Squadron is 142 Squadron, for the second consecutive time.
It is the unit's fourth win since it was founded in 1974.
The squadron conducts a wide spectrum of missions and notably, was the one that responded to a bomb threat on Air India Express flight AXB684 in October 2024, said Mindef.
Then, two F-15SG fighter jets intercepted and escorted the flight to a safe landing at Changi Airport . No bomb was found on board.
The squadron's commanding officer, Major Muhammad Iskandar, said the win was a testament to the hard work, dedication, and team spirit of each of its members.
He said: 'Celebrating our win on SG60, a significant milestone in our journey as a nation, makes the award even more meaningful for us.
'142 Squadron stands ready to face an increasingly unpredictable world, staying committed to excellence, anchored in purpose, and taking full ownership of our mission to defend Singapore.'
Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
7 hours ago
- Straits Times
Families mark 40 years since deadly Japan Airlines crash with hike up mountain site
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Bereaved families and friends release lanterns for those who died 40 years ago when a Boeing 747 flight from Tokyo to Osaka crashed into a mountain. TOKYO – Family members of victims in the world's deadliest single-aircraft accident hiked on Aug 12 to the mountainous site in Japan where the plane went down, as the country marked 40 years since the tragedy that killed 520 people. On Aug 12, 1985, the doomed Boeing 747 was around 40 minutes into an hour-long flight from Tokyo to Osaka when it crashed into a mountain about 120km north-west of the capital. Hundreds of people, including bereaved families and friends, hiked the trails up to the cenotaph erected on Mount Osutaka where the jet crashed. Among them was a woman who lost her younger brother in the accident. 'I want to tell him that all of his family members are alive, with his soul on our shoulders,' she told broadcaster Fuji TV. 'We're doing our best to live our lives'. Japan Airlines (JAL) Flight 123 lost control soon after take-off, with a loud noise heard about 10 minutes into the trip and an emergency declared, before shaking violently and crashing. The plane was almost full, with many holidaymakers flying back to their hometowns during Japan's 'obon' mid-summer festival. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Luxury items seized in $3b money laundering case handed over to Deloitte for liquidation Singapore NEL resumes service after hours-long power fault; single-track service on Sengkang-Punggol LRT Singapore Live: Services on Punggol LRT being progressively restored Singapore Plan to base Singapore's F-15 fighter jets in Guam cancelled Singapore Hyflux investigator 'took advantage' of Olivia Lum's inability to recall events: Davinder Singh Singapore Man who stabbed son-in-law to death at Boon Tat Street in 2017 dies, aged 80 Singapore Scoot to launch flights to Chiang Rai, Okinawa, Tokyo-Haneda, boost frequency to other places Singapore Off-duty SCDF officer dies after accident in Punggol; 15-year-old pillion rider taken to hospital In the end, 505 passengers, including a dozen infants, and 15 crew members perished. Just four passengers survived. Imperfect repairs to the aircraft's rear bulkhead by Boeing engineers seven years earlier, coupled with JAL's subsequent lack of oversight, were blamed for the accident. Numerous, tiny cracks on the bulkhead – unnoticed on prior flights – burst, destroying a tail fin, rupturing hydraulic systems and sending the plane hurtling downward. The world's worst airline disaster was the 1977 runway collision of two 747s on Tenerife in the Canary Islands that left 583 dead. More recently in Japan, a near-catastrophic collision occurred at Haneda airport between a Japan Airlines aircraft and a smaller coast guard plane in January 2024. All 379 people on board the JAL Airbus escaped just before the aircraft was engulfed in flames, but five of the six people on the smaller aircraft died. AFP
Straits Times
8 hours ago
- Straits Times
6.3-magnitude quake hits Papua in eastern Indonesia; no tsunami warning
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox The epicentre of the quake was around 193km north-west of Jayapura, the provincial capital. JAKARTA – A 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck the eastern Indonesian region of Papua on Aug 12, but a monitor said there was no tsunami threat. The epicentre of the quake, which struck at around 5.24pm (4.24pm Singapore time), was around 193km north-west of Jayapura, the provincial capital and largest city in Papua, according to the US Geological Survey. The depth was measured at 10km. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said there was no tsunami threat. There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage. USGS earlier gave a magnitude of 6.5 before revising it downward. Indonesia experiences frequent earthquakes due to its position on the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, an arc of intense seismic activity that stretches from Japan through South-east Asia and across the Pacific basin where tectonic plates collide. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore NEL, Sengkang LRT resume service after hours-long power fault; Punggol LRT being restored Singapore Live: Services on Punggol LRT being progressively restored Singapore Luxury items seized in $3b money laundering case handed over to Deloitte for liquidation Singapore Plan to base Singapore's F-15 fighter jets in Guam cancelled Singapore Hyflux investigator 'took advantage' of Olivia Lum's inability to recall events: Davinder Singh Singapore Scoot to launch flights to Chiang Rai, Okinawa, Tokyo-Haneda, boost frequency to other places Singapore Off-duty SCDF officer dies after accident in Punggol; 15-year-old pillion rider taken to hospital Business Goh Cheng Liang, Nippon Paint billionaire and richest Singaporean, dies at 98 A 6.2-magnitude earthquake that shook Sulawesi in January 2021 killed more than 100 people and left thousands homeless. In 2018, a 7.5-magnitude quake and subsequent tsunami in Palu on Sulawesi killed more than 2,200 people. In 2004, a 9.1-magnitude quake struck Aceh province, causing a tsunami and killing more than 170,000 people in Indonesia. AFP
Independent Singapore
10 hours ago
- Independent Singapore
Why do people sign on? The many paths into Singapore's forces
Photo: Canva Free Image Library Featured News Forum In the Hood SINGAPORE: For some Singaporeans, signing on with the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF), or the Singapore Police Force (SPF) is a calling rising due to patriotism. For others, it's a calculated step toward career stability, educational opportunities, and financial security. A recent Reddit thread has shed light on the mix of motivations — from securing a scholarship to simply not knowing what to do next — that drive young people to commit to years of service. 'Wanted to study overseas, grades were decent, but family couldn't afford it,' one user shared. 'SAF fully sponsored the degree with a monthly salary. I made the choice in BMT (Basic Military Training), so I didn't have to waste time jumping vocations or services. Was streamed into my vocation at OCS and commissioned in what I signed on for.' For him, the decision wasn't just about military life; it was about unlocking an academic future that would have otherwise been financially out of reach. The SAF Overseas Scholarship covered tuition, provided a full salary during his studies, and even offered allowances for books, clothing, and travel. See also Glass door explodes while girl showers The SAF Scholarship is widely regarded as second in prestige only to the President's Scholarship. Open to both men and women, it's designed to groom the next generation of leaders for the highest levels of command and management. Recipients can have up to six years of study covered, including a Master's degree, and are guaranteed a career in roles that shape Singapore's defence strategy. A former cadet trainer noted that while only around 10% of his peers received the scholarship in his time, the figure seems to have risen in recent years. 'Cadets said about 30% qualified. It's tied to qualifications — good grades and finishing in the top of your cohort gets you an interview chance.' The SAF also offers the SAS (Local) scholarship, which allows recipients to study at a Singapore university while potentially drawing a monthly salary of more than S$3,000 — a particularly 'shiok' arrangement, as one commenter put it, for those living at home and able to save most of their income. Not everyone stays in the same line they were in during National Service. While some SCDF servicemen sign on with SCDF and soldiers remain with SAF, others switch to entirely different branches. One Redditor recalled turning down an SPF-equivalent scholarship in favour of the SAF, citing differences in training requirements before studies. These shifts often come down to personal fit, perceived career prospects, and the culture of each organisation; however, one thing all the servicemen could agree on is the stability of the job, particularly during periods of turmoil or recession. () => { const trigger = if ('IntersectionObserver' in window && trigger) { const observer = new IntersectionObserver((entries, observer) => { => { if ( { lazyLoader(); // You should define lazyLoader() elsewhere or inline here // Run once } }); }, { rootMargin: '800px', threshold: 0.1 }); } else { // Fallback setTimeout(lazyLoader, 3000); } });
