unauthorised training caused the death of a national service
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http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/52548/1/.html
SINGAPORE: Defence Minister Teo Chee Hean on Thursday revealed that unauthorised training caused the death of a national serviceman, Second Sergeant Hu Enhuai who died on August 21 during a Combat Survival Training course.
Speaking in Parliament Rear-Admiral Teo said there was an extremely serious lapse of conduct in the training.
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Investigations revealed that his head had been submerged underwater four times.
This is not allowed under the training and the cause of death was asphyxia and near drowning.
In a ministerial statement in Parliament, Rear Admiral Teo said the incident was a stain on the SAF and it should never have happened.
"This is an extremely serious lapse in the conduct of the training. It should never have happened. MINDEF takes the gravest possible view of the matter. I am determined to establish the full facts of how such an unauthorised act occurred and to identify the persons responsible for it.
"I have convened a Higher Board of Inquiry to do so. Investigations are also being conducted by the Criminal Investigation Department of the Police, and there will be a coroner's inquiry. The results of these investigations will be made public. Any SAF personnel who have been negligent or culpable will be held to account and punished according to the law," he added
Admiral Teo also said after the incident, Mindef had suspended five instructors who conducted the training.
Four others have also been relieved of their duties, including the Commanding Officer of the School of Commando Training while the Chief Commando Officer has been removed. - CNA -
so, will the bastards be charged for manslaughter?
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not sure..the cop need more time i guess..
its definitely the instructor fault...just that they need time to see if there any bad blood between the victim n the instructor..it might murder..but from the look of it..most likely its manslaughter -
ninkampoots!
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i SO hope that some heads are gonna roll!!!!!!
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Originally posted by NathanG5:Four others have also been relieved of their duties, including the Commanding Officer of the School of Commando Training while the Chief Commando Officer has been removed. - CNA
this is shocking! i would imagine this is like the first time such a thing has happened!
wow... new minister of defence show power! -
its sad... the morale of the commandoes will take a v serious blow... they r realli realli suay this yr.
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commandos are going dowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwn~
not good, not good at all. -
a lot of bad things happening there huh? including being banned from best unit competition..
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put a pile of gungho testosterone poisoned maniacs with single digit IQs, this is just waiting to happen...
an extreme version of groupthink
the same thing is happening to the country's lea-duhs... -
Ministerial statement on the recent deaths of three SAF servicemen, Minister of Defence, (RADM(NS) Teo Chee Hean,
Parliament Sitting, 16 Oct 20033
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Mr Speaker Sir, one regular SAF serviceman and 2 Full-time National Servicemen died during training in unrelated incidents over the period of 21st August to 23rd September this year. MINDEF is very sorry for the anguish and distress that has been caused to their families and loved ones. I deeply regret the loss of these three young men. I extend my heartfelt condolences to their families and loved ones.
MINDEF treats every training death with the utmost seriousness. In every case we convene a thorough investigation to determine the cause of death and also to enable us to take all the necessary measures so that what can be prevented will not happen again.
It is important to remember that the SAF has to train our soldiers as they will fight. The harder and more realistically we train them, the more likely they are to fight well and survive when called upon to defend the nation. The training also has to be conducted professionally and safely. MINDEF therefore constantly aims to strike the right balance between training realism and safety. We take all the safety precautions and measures feasible to minimise risks. But in the nature of military training, there will always remain some risks which cannot be completely eliminated.
Let me now explain the circumstances of the three cases and the measures that are in place to ensure the safety of our servicemen as they undergo military training, as well as the actions that MINDEF has taken. I shall take the most recent case first.
Recruit Chew Heng Huat, Andrew,
- IPPT Categorisation Test, 23 Sep 03
Summary of Incident
The serviceman who died was Recruit Chew Heng Huat, Andrew. On enlistment, Recruit Chew had been classified as being medically fit except for being moderately obese. He was in the fourth week of the four-month Basic Military Training Programme for obese recruits. On 23 Sep 03 at the Basic Military Training Centre (BMTC) School 1 in Pulau Tekong, Recruit Chew was undergoing an Individual Physical Proficiency Test (IPPT) categorisation exercise to gauge his fitness level. At about 1745 hrs, during the 2.4 km run of the IPPT, Recruit Chew collapsed 30 metres short of the end point. He was immediately evacuated to the Pulau Tekong Medical Centre for medical attention and thereafter, evacuated by helicopter to the Singapore General Hospital, arriving at 1842 hrs. He was pronounced dead at 1905 hrs. The cause of death is pending final determination by the forensic pathologist from the Health Sciences Authority.
IPPT Categorisation Exercise
The IPPT categorisation exercise for obese recruits takes place during the 4th week of their 4-month BMT programme, after they have completed 3 weeks of physical conditioning. In the normal 3-month BMT for non-obese recruits, this categorisation exercise is done in the 2nd week. The purpose of the categorisation exercise is to group the recruits according to their physical fitness level. This allows us to design the subsequent training in a more focused, customized and progressive way, taking into account the health and fitness condition of each serviceman.
Actions Taken
Our preliminary investigations showed that there were no lapses in the conduct of the IPPT categorisation exercise which contributed to the death. Proper lesson plans and safety measures were in place. The measures included making sure that the recruits had adequate sleep the night before, that they were well hydrated, and were not feeling unwell when the IPPT started. The medical evacuation of Recruit Chew by land and air was also executed swiftly and according to the established plan for such contingencies.
MINDEF has convened a Committee of Inquiry into the incident. The Inquiry is still in progress. Meanwhile the Commander of the Basic Military Training Centre has briefed all the instructors on the incident and re-emphasised the need for safety understanding and awareness.
2SG Rajagopal Thirukumaran
- Ranger Selection Test, 3 Sep 03
Summary of Incident
The second death was that of 2SG Rajagopal Thirukumaran, a regular serviceman, on 3 Sep 03 when he was taking the Ranger Course selection test at Hendon Camp. This test is to ensure that candidates for the Ranger course meet the physical fitness standards required for the course. 2SG Rajagopal collapsed at 1627 hrs, after completing the 5-km road run in good time. He received immediate medical attention before he was evacuated to Changi General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 1725hrs. The cause of death is pending final determination by the forensic pathologist from the Health Sciences Authority.
Actions Taken
Our preliminary investigations showed that the lesson plans and safety measures for the selection test were in order and properly executed. A warming up exercise was carried out in accordance with the lesson plan. The safety briefing for the road run was conducted, and water points and safety marshals were deployed.
MINDEF has convened a Higher Board of Inquiry to investigate the incident, which is still in progress.
2SG Hu Enhuai
- Combat Survival Training (CST), 21 Aug 03
Summary of Incident
The third incident, on 21 Aug 03, occurred at Pulau Tekong during a Combat Survival Training (CST) course. This course trains reconnaissance troopers, scouts and snipers who have to conduct operations deep in hostile territory, to survive, evade capture, and resist and escape if captured by the enemy. The course has both theory and practical elements, and psychological preparation is a key feature. It culminates in a summary field exercise where the skills taught in the classroom are applied and put to the test. The 80th CST course began on 13 Aug 03 and was scheduled to end on 22 Aug 03.
On 21 Aug 03, 2SG Hu Enhuai, a sniper, was participating in the final summary exercise when he collapsed at around 1645hrs. He was given medical treatment at the scene and evacuated to the Pulau Tekong Medical Centre at 1710hrs. Subsequently, he was evacuated by helicopter to the Singapore General Hospital and arrived there at 1752hrs. He was pronounced dead at 1817hrs. The cause of death as certified by the forensic pathologist of the Health Sciences Authority was asphyxia and near drowning.
Actions Taken
The SAF suspended Combat Survival Training immediately after the incident. Four Officers and a senior Specialist who conducted the training were also immediately suspended from service.
MINDEF convened an independent Committee of Inquiry, chaired by a senior civil servant from outside MINDEF, to investigate and determine the full facts of the incident. The Committee of Inquiry submitted its report on 3 Oct 03. MINDEF is now studying the report in detail. I will now brief Members of the House of the facts established by the Committee. 2SG Hu's family has also been kept informed.
The Committee of Inquiry found that the trainers had not followed the approved lesson plan for this training exercise. According to the lesson plan, the trainees were only to be doused with water with the intent of showering them. The lesson plan specifically prohibits physical contact and manhandling of trainees, and states categorically that instructors should never force water treatment into the body. Submerging the head of a trainee into water was not authorized.
However, instead of being doused with water, 2SG Hu had his head submerged in water four times. As a result he aspirated water, had breathing difficulties and collapsed. He was treated promptly by a medical orderly at the scene and evacuated to the Singapore General Hospital, but despite the medical treatment he died.
Besides 2SG Hu, other trainees also had their heads submerged in water. As a result 6 aspirated water and required medical treatment. The Combat Survival Training had been conducted in an unauthorized way.
This is an extremely serious lapse in the conduct of the training. It should never have happened. MINDEF takes the gravest possible view of the matter. I am determined to establish the full facts of how such an unauthorised act occurred and to identify the persons responsible for it. I have convened a Higher Board of Inquiry to do so. Investigations are also being conducted by the Criminal Investigation Department of the Police, and there will be a coroner's inquiry. The results of these investigations will be made public. Any SAF personnel who have been negligent or culpable will be held to account and punished according to the law.
After the incident MINDEF suspended 5 instructors who conducted the training. In addition, MINDEF has relieved from their duties two other instructors who were responsible for supervising the training. MINDEF has also relieved the Commanding Officer of the School of Commando Training from command and has also appointed a new Chief Commando Officer to take charge of the Commando formation.
The SAF will conduct a thorough and careful review of how the Combat Survival Training course is conducted and the safety measures for this course before we resume such training. For this purpose, the SAF will benchmark our training practices against practices in other established armies, and audit how our training is actually carried out in the field, to ensure that training of this nature is conducted professionally and safely.
Conclusion
MINDEF deeply regrets the loss of the lives of our three soldiers. Investigations as well as independent inquiries have been convened for all three cases. We will probe for deficiencies in systems and procedures; lapses in execution or compliance; whether any persons by their acts or omissions were responsible; and what remedial measures will prevent such incidents in the future.
Where we discover deficiencies, we will put them right immediately. Where persons have failed in their duties, MINDEF will take action against them. We expect the highest level of professionalism from our officers and men, and will not tolerate any laxity or indiscipline that endangers the lives of our soldiers. When something goes wrong, we will account to Parliament, the families of servicemen, and the public. We will explain fully and honestly what went wrong, and what we will do to put things right and prevent it from happening again. This is the way to maintain the confidence and trust of the public in the SAF.
What happened to 2SG Hu on the Combat Survival Training course should never have happened. I will get to the bottom of how such an unauthorized and unsafe training practice could have crept into the School of Commando Training. This incident has been a heavy blow to the Commandos, who are one of the finest formations in the SAF. Over the years, the Commandos have served Singapore well. In 1974, in the Laju incident, they escorted the hijackers to the Middle East. In 1991, they rescued 127 passengers from SQ117. In their quiet and unseen ways, the Commandos have performed many other operations to safeguard Singapore from the new and deadly threats of terrorism. The Commandos will set things right and rebuild themselves because as professionals, I know that this is what they will do. They will succeed as they have the professionalism and the determination to do so, and because they will have the support of the Members of this House and all Singaporeans.
Parents entrust their sons to MINDEF and the SAF to prepare and train them to perform a national duty in the defence of Singapore. This is a heavy responsibility that MINDEF and the SAF do not take lightly. We should not let up on hard and realistic training. But we will never compromise on safety nor risk the lives of our servicemen. It is MINDEF and the SAF's solemn commitment to take in our young men, train them well and return them safely at the end of two or two and a half years to their families as operationally-ready soldiers.
Source: Ministry of Defence
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7 casualties in 1 training, including 1 death. .. wtf. . . -
btw, just another thought. how come a rear-adm can be defence minister? that means he got influence over both civil and military admin of saf issit?
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Drama, the way I like it. -
huh? what do u mean?Originally posted by laser51088:btw, just another thought. how come a rear-adm can be defence minister? that means he got influence over both civil and military admin of saf issit? -
Originally posted by laser51088:
He's not in active service liao. He's just NS.
[b]btw, just another thought. how come a rear-adm can be defence minister?[b]
Same for ministers like BG Yeo and DPM Lee. -
According to the lesson plan, the trainees were only to be doused with water with the intent of showering them. The lesson plan specifically prohibits physical contact and manhandling of trainees, and states categorically that instructors should never force water treatment into the body. Submerging the head of a trainee into water was not authorized.
Wah lau, issit true they're only to be doused with water, with the intent of SHOWERING them? I always thought their heads are to be submerged? No physical contact?!! So is this SERE training or not? -
This is indeed shocking - for the Chief Commando Officer to be removed is among the highest possible punishment in peacetime. He's the boss of all who wear the red berets - 1st Cdo, 10th cdo, HQ Cdo, SOF, para and commando training school, ranger school, etc, etc.Originally posted by NathanG5:http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/52548/1/.html
Four others have also been relieved of their duties, including the Commanding Officer of the School of Commando Training while the Chief Commando Officer has been removed. - CNA
The new minister has balls indeed. -
*clap clap*Originally posted by bcoy:This is indeed shocking - for the Chief Commando Officer to be removed is among the highest possible punishment in peacetime. He's the boss of all who wear the red berets - 1st Cdo, 10th cdo, HQ Cdo, SOF, para and commando training school, ranger school, etc, etc.
The new minister has balls indeed.
look up to him... the new minister i mean -
DPM Lee is no longer liable for NS. Its now Mr Lee.Originally posted by Icemoon:He's not in active service liao. He's just NS. Same for ministers like BG Yeo and DPM Lee. -
i tink if da instructors were 2 b charged wit manslaughter it is 2 heavy a charge
nobody wants tis 2 happen and who wud expect it 2 happen
It is important to remember that the SAF has to train our soldiers as they will fight. The harder and more realistically we train them, the more likely they are to fight well and survive when called upon to defend the nation. The training also has to be conducted professionally and safely. MINDEF therefore constantly aims to strike the right balance between training realism and safety. We take all the safety precautions and measures feasible to minimise risks. But in the nature of military training, there will always remain some risks which cannot be completely eliminated.
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realism is good.. but you do not drown people...Originally posted by 35MM Gunner:i tink if da instructors were 2 b charged wit manslaughter it is 2 heavy a charge
nobody wants tis 2 happen and who wud expect it 2 happen
It is important to remember that the SAF has to train our soldiers as they will fight. The harder and more realistically we train them, the more likely they are to fight well and survive when called upon to defend the nation. The training also has to be conducted professionally and safely. MINDEF therefore constantly aims to strike the right balance between training realism and safety. We take all the safety precautions and measures feasible to minimise risks. But in the nature of military training, there will always remain some risks which cannot be completely eliminated. -
http://www.mindef.gov.sg/display.asp?number=1937
ADDITIONAL REMARKS BY MINISTER FOR DEFENCE, RADM (NS) TEO CHEE HEAN, AT PARLIAMENT, 16 OCT 2003
Sir, I know that the words I say in this House will never be sufficient to alleviate the grief of the families of those who have died; nor fully answer the points and concerns that have been raised today, which must surely will also be on the minds of the public.
They must be answered, not merely with words, but by the actions of the SAF – what the formation does to put right what has gone wrong; and what the SAF does to look after its soldiers.
Sir, this morning, I have summoned all the unit commanders and senior commanders in the SAF, of all the three services and service chiefs, more than 400 of them, to impress upon them the seriousness of this incident, and to reinforce the importance of looking after their men.
Sir, this morning, I have told them that this incident is a stain on the reputation of the SAF. And that they have to erase that stain by their actions. Every instructor, every section leader, unit commander and senior commander is responsible for looking after his men. And they are personally responsible for it.
I explained to them what I mean by looking after their men.
Several years ago, I visited a country where due to the security situation, units of the armed forces had to be ready for battle at any time. I spoke to a young commanding officer in an elite unit, a young National Serviceman, and asked him what weighed most heavily on his mind – what keeps him up at night.
He told me, “Sir, what is foremost in my mind every day, and what I think about all the time, is that if my unit is called to battle tomorrow, that I have trained my men well enough, so that they will do their duty for their country and be able to carry out their mission; that I can bring my men home because I have trained them and prepared them properly; and that I can face the families of those who did not return knowing that I did all I could to train them well and to lead them well in action.”
Sir, that is what our commanders must do to look after their men.
I have two priorities now.
First, to complete the inquiries and investigations. To find out who is responsible for carrying out these unauthorized acts and allowing them to take place. The investigations by MINDEF and the Police will be thorough and complete, and where there have been shortcomings, failures or wrongdoings, those responsible will be held to account and face the full force of the law.
Second, to put right what has gone wrong in this unit, and for the whole SAF to learn from this and tighten up so that this does not ever happen again.
To put the Commandos on the path of setting right what has gone wrong, and to rebuild themselves, MINDEF has posted in a new Chief Commando Officer to lead that process.
I said it just now in conclusion and it is important that I say this again.
Parents entrust their sons to MINDEF and the SAF to prepare and train them to perform a national duty in the defence of Singapore. This is a heavy responsibility that MINDEF and the SAF do not take lightly. We should not let up on hard and realistic training. But we will never compromise on safety nor risk the lives of our servicemen. It is MINDEF and the SAFÂ’s solemn commitment to take in our young men, train them well and return them safely at the end of two or two and a half years to their families as operationally-ready soldiers.
Sir, I would like to thank Members of this House for frankly and openly providing their views on this very serious issue. MINDEF will look into every suggestion and every point raised and will act on it.
This is one of the most serious incident, if not the most serious incident, that we have had in the SAF of this kind in its history. The SAF will work hard to ensure that we maintain the trust of this House, maintain the trust of parents, maintain the trust of Singaporeans. And at the same time, we will work hard to make sure that we continue to have a tough, capable SAF to defend Singapore and to defend Singaporeans. -
its a title 4 themOriginally posted by laser51088:btw, just another thought. how come a rear-adm can be defence minister? that means he got influence over both civil and military admin of saf issit?
just like Dr xxx and Prof yyy etc
if they r no more liable 4 military duties be it active or active reserves
then they can add a Ret behind their tile
eg: Rear-Adm(Ret) Teo Chee Hean -
hm.. thinking further, what was done seem to be contradiction.
its unauthorised trg tt killed the serviceman. unauthorised o cos means no permission was given.
in tt case removing the very head of the fmn wont do much good? its more likely than not tt he is oso in the dark.
he jus suay suay din impress upon his men enuff abt sticking to guidelines. or he suay suay kanna over zealous men. -
yeap the C.O n the CCO is just plain sway...
when u kill somebody accidently..its consider manslaughter..unless its self defence...its consider the lightest sentence for killing someone...the fact that did killed someone..