APPSMO Participants Visit the 2PDF/IDTF

*Group photo of APPSMO participants during the visit to Clementi Camp*

By Ho Shu Huang

As part of the Asia-Pacific Programme for Senior Military Officers (APPSMO) 2018, the participants visited Clementi Camp and were hosted by Brigadier-General (BG) Dinesh Vasu Dash, Commander of the 2nd People’s Defence Force and the Island Defence Task-Force (2PDF/IDTF). The visit was part of an event to showcase how Singapore and the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) put the spirit of national security into action. During the unit’s presentation, key staff highlighted the operational role of the Island Defenders and the recent activities carried out by them. Apart from being important subject matter experts on securing important installations in Singapore, such as the Changi International Airport, the unit also participates actively in key events such as the Shangri-La Dialogue (SLD) and the recently concluded US-North Korea Summit. The high operational calibre expected from the unit is made possible from the strong support of Operationally Ready National Servicemen (ORNS) serving in the various sub-units of 2PDF/IDTF.

Following the presentation, the participants visited Clementi Camp. They visited three stations – the first exhibiting the latest vehicular asset known as the Peacekeeper, a Protected Response Vehicle (PRV). This vehicle is a mechanised and protected platform designed to ferry troops to their operational areas. The second station was manned by personnel from the Military Police Command and their Military Working Dog unit. They demonstrated their proficiency in Peacetime Contingency Operations (PTCO), as well as the effectiveness of well-trained attack and sniffer dogs. Lastly, the participants were shown the Lions’ Heritage Room, detailing the proud legacy of the oldest unit in the SAF since its inception as the Singapore Volunteers’ Rifle Corps in 1854.

RSIS appreciates the strong partnership with the SAF that offers opportunities to get an insight into how Singapore translates its national security agenda into action, and how platforms like APPSMO form part of the on-going conversation between the theory and praxis of security.