Time is GMT + 8 hours
Posted: 10 July 2004 1841 hrs
SAF to open School of Infantry Specialists
By Rita Zahara, Channel NewsAsia
SINGAPORE : By late 2005, the Singapore Armed Forces will have a specialised institution dedicated to train SAF Warrant Officers and Specialist Corps.
The School of Infantry Specialists will provide a conducive environment for SAF's first-line commanders to develop and strengthen their skills.
The ground-breaking ceremony took place at Pasir Laba Camp on Saturday.
The institute will be a camp within a camp, integrating new buildings and structures along the existing infrastructure.
By late 2005, the land will become a new home for SAF Warrant officers and Specialist Corps -- an institution dedicated to support the 3rd Generation SAF, leveraging on new concepts and technologies.
And the 3G Specialist will be expected to handle a variety of weapons and network systems, exercising his leadership over a wider expanse of the battlefield.
"No matter how much technology may change the way we do things and the way we fight, it is ultimately the soldier who makes the difference. The first element is values and attitudes, courage and ingenuity and professionalism. That is what will determine victory or defeat for the SAF," said Defence Minister, Rear Admiral Teo Chee Hean.
SISPEC Commanding Officer, LTC Ng Heng Chew, said, "This institution is a very critical set-up because in a way Pasir Laba Camp will be a one-stop facility or faculty that will manage, collate and disseminate all the knowledge and experiences that is important for our warrant officers to share with the junior commanders."
When ready, the institute is able to accommodate 1,200 soldiers.
Occupying the size of three football fields, it is strategically co-located with the SAF Warrant Officers' School, where resources and expertise can be easily shared. - CNA
