10 years on, remembering

OPERATION FLYING EAGLE

Story By Oon Ming Shen

We knew that they were stretched

and
as the picture unfolded, we

According to the estimates of the Indonesian authorities,

a large portion of western Sumatras coastline was
devastated. At the time MG Endang Suwarya, military area
commander, Aceh said, The damage is truly devastating.
Seventy-five percent of the west coast in some places it
is one hundred percent is gone. The worst hit areas were
Banda Aceh and Meulaboh.
When disaster struck, Singaporeans greatly sympathised
with the disaster victims plight and wanted to do all they
could to alleviate our neighbours suffering. A Joint Services
Conference was held on the morning of 27 December and
the SAF launched Operation Flying Eagle (OFE), the SAFs pre-empted plan for providing humanitarian aid that had been drafted
more than a decade hitherto the disaster.
On 30 December, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong reiterated the
need for humanitarian aid, saying, We knew that they were stretched
and as the picture unfolded, we knew that they needed resources and
we had something which we could do to help them. The thing is to
be there to be of a direct help. Its clear now that this disaster is of
an even greater magnitude than anybody originally thought. In total,
1,500 personnel, 3 Landing Ships Tanks, 12 helicopters and 8 transport
aircraft were deployed to Indonesia.
BG (NS) Tan Chuan-Jin, now the Minister for Manpower was
entrusted with the command of the Humanitarian Assistance Support
Group (HASG). BG (NS) Tan was then the commander of the 7th
Singapore Infantry Brigade. BG (NS) Tan summarised the reason for
the SAFs deployment, saying: To us, helping our neighbours in crises
and assisting as best as we can was the natural thing to do. We go
through good times and bad times together. We are not fair-weather
friends and when they need help, we will help. OFE was a reflection of
the deep relations between our countries.
OFE was the largest operation ever conducted by the SAF, but the
muscle memory developed from years of training allowed our soldiers
to pull it off. We had never done an operation of such a scale before,
commented BG (NS) Tan. We had done pockets of Operations Other
Than War, but we had never deployed in such a massive HASG with
our full [Link] applied what we learnt from our exercises and
smaller-scale operations and adapted to a real operational context.
Our foundational pieces were strong and all the services collaborated well. We focused on the mission and worked out the
game plan together. Joint training between the services over the years helped us work together seamlessly. A lot of the lessons
from peace-time training kicked in here. Component pieces in different forms had been laid and everyone stepped up, pulled
together.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong

n 26 December 2004, a day after the world celebrated Christmas, the Sumatra-Andaman Earthquake struck, with its
epicentre close to the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia.
The earthquake resulted in several tsunamis, affecting
Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Thailand, Maldives and Somalia.
Hundreds of thousands of people were left dead or missing,
with many more affected.

knew that they needed resources

and we had something which we
could do to help them. The thing
is to be there to be of a direct help.
Its clear now that this disaster is
of an even greater magnitude than
anybody originally thought.

broke down and the job could be done

in only 72 hours. The logistics team had
to improvise and use the crane instead,
and everyone had to work doubly hard.

Advance & Overcome

As most of the infrastructure in the disaster sites had been
decimated, the Engineers played a very important role in
setting up makeshift infrastructures to facilitate the relief
efforts. The Engineer Task Force (ETF) comprised personnel from
the various Combat Engineers specialties Field Engineers,
Armoured Engineers, Bridging Engineers and Construction
Engineers. Engineer assets involved in the operation included
Heavy Plants, the Combat Engineer Tractor and Construction
Materials.
COL Lam Chee Yuong, currently the Commander of the
Engineering Training Institute, then a major, was the Commander
of the ETF. He said of the ETFs presence in Indonesia: The
ETFs main goal was to provide mobility solutions to the HASG
in all phases of the operation. We focused on opening and
maintaining sea landing points, opening helicopter landing
points, and creating road networks from these landing points
to key installations.
MWO Tang Boon Wee was the Company Sergeant Major of
the construction engineers during OFE. Set up in 2003, regulars
and NSFs from the unit were deployed to Indonesia. They were
involved in creating a landing bay for vehicles to offload their
supplies and equipment, and to construct a helicopter landing
point.
MWO Tangs company reached Meulaboh by sea and the
sight of the disaster area shocked them. He recently recounted,
When we were reaching the shore, we saw many bodies floating
in the sea. We were very shocked. Fortunately we received
psychological resilience training and were mentally prepared.
The disaster reminded MWO Tang of how fortunate Singapore
is: Were fortunate that Singapore doesnt have any natural
disasters but we cant take things for granted. The widespread
destruction that the soldiers encountered spurred them on
to do everything they could in their capability to alleviate the
peoples suffering. The spirit of the soldiers from the Indonesian
National Armed Forces (TNI), who lost their family and friends
but continued to toil hard, motivated the SAF soldiers even
more. As BG (NS) Tan put it, Many of the Indonesians lost

their own family and it was a traumatic experience. We sail

off, and however difficult, we can come back and our people
and families are still here. But for the Indonesians, they may
not have their families anymore. Whatever help and relief
we can provide will make a very big difference. We should
never underestimate the difference that every soldier
can make.
Even though the ETF had limited assets, it was able to greatly
assist the relief efforts through careful planning and alignment
to the command teams goals. COL Lam said, Through
maintaining acute situational awareness of the overall effort
and intent of the HASG, the ETF was able to commit its
resources in an efficient way. This was helped by transparency
in the setting of strategic goals and objectives by
the HASG command team, and the mission commanders
careful interplay of autonomy and supervision in the activities
of the task force. While the engineers did not have an
abundance of assets to completely rehabilitate a devastated
town, it was able to prioritise and do the correct things
at the opportune time. This economy of effort allowed
it to make the best use of limited resources to achieve
maximum effect.
The Indonesian soldiers were able to provide timely relief
that greatly aided the Indonesians and MWO Tang noted, This
drove home the need for a strong and credible defence force
that is ready to respond to any crises.
Participating in OFE has sharpened the Engineers edge, and
MWO Tang believes that OFE gave the Engineers operations
exposure. He commented, OFE let us put our skills and
knowledge to the test. It gave us confidence that we are able
when the need arises.
COL Lam concurred, saying, OFE was an enriching and
worthwhile experience for all Engineers involved as we had
to surmount many challenges. We lived up to our Combat
Engineers motto Advance and Overcome.

Readying and deploying forces for

such a massive operation entailed a
massive amount of backend logistics.
One of the key officers involved in the
logistics was LTC Abdul Nasir, then a
major and the S4 (CSS Officer) of 7th
Singapore Infantry Brigade. He said,
The logisticians had to manage predeployment, pre-empt the possible
complications in-theater, and support
the people and various teams intheater, including food, lodging,
hygiene issues and other issues.
BG (NS) Tan emphasised the essential
role played by the logisticians in OFE,
saying, We paid a lot of attention
to logistics. An unseen part of any
capability is the backend guys, and the
fact that you can maintain things and
make sure you are deployable. Real
military capability is acted on strong
logistics and strong support.
Before deployment, the logistics
team assessed the necessities that
the Indonesians would require.
Donations came rolling in, and HQ
Supply coordinated all donations,
even drawing up a manifest listing
all donations. 6 NSF chefs were sent
in with a Navy chef to look after the
soldiers meals.
LTC Nasir said of the chefs: I
emphasised the need for food safety
to prevent any outbreak of food
poisoning. The chefs did a fantastic
job and there were zero food-related
incidents. LTC Nasir recalls that one of
the most arduous tasks was the loading
process. The time limit for loading was
48 hours, but the mechanical ramp

When they arrived in Indonesia, the

logisticians work was far from over.
LTC Nasir noted, The HADR stores
were ferried by sea and air, and the
unloading points for the ships and
airplanes were different. Once the
stores were unloaded, the storemen
had to transport them to the TNI
headquarters. It was very tiring for the
storemen as they had to travel very long
distances to transport the HADR stores.
In fact, coordinating the operation intheater to ensure that everything ran
smoothly was a logistical nightmare
on most days the logisticians slept at 2
or 3am and had to wake up at 6am.
Despite all the difficulties faced there,
the operation was a logistical success.
LTC Nasir commented, Everyone
worked together with a common
mission in mind and we supported
each other. Everyone wanted to do
what they could to help.
LTC James Yin, then Captain, a Staff
Officer with the Army Information
Centre, was grateful to the Indonesian
authorities for the support they lent
to the SAF, which facilitated their work
greatly. He said, We had a lot of support
from the Indonesian authorities, which
sped our work process up. This was
partly because we had strong ties
with Indonesia, and many of our key
commanders knew Bahasa Indonesia
and had friends in Indonesia.
In the first place, Singapore has
always had cordial ties with Indonesia
and this facilitated Singapores
efforts in Indonesia. BG (NS) Tan said,
Every step along the way was
collaborating and working together
with the Indonesians. Whatever we
did, we made sure we collaborated
with the Indonesians. We planned
with them; made sure we were in
sync with them; attended their
meetings
and
aligned
things
with them. We ended up with a
lot of trust. To begin with, there
were already a good working
relationship with Indonesia, very strong
bilateral ties; some of our officers had
been on the staff course in Indonesia
and just graduated. The SAF has over

many years done a lot to build strong

relationships with our neighbours,
and our strong ties allowed OFE to
happen. This paved the way for us in
terms of trust-building. They gave us
an unprecedented level of freedom
and we always made sure we
supported them.
Having seen the SAFs operational
capabilities first-hand in its largest
operation ever gave LTC Yin increased
confidence in the SAF. He noted, Being
small doesnt mean we cant help.
Participating in OFE has enhanced
the SAFs capabilities in being able
to provide aid during disasters. The
operation was well coordinated and
our concerted effort allowed us to
provide relief in such a big disaster.
LTC Yin added, It was an honour
to be part of the team deployed to
Indonesia, and being able to help the
people, put a smile on their face and
give them hope.

Psychologists from the SAF Counseling Center were

also sent in to support the troops. Fortunately, the SAF
troops coped very well and did not exhibit any serious issues in executing their tasks, so the Counseling
Centers efforts were redirected to the locals at primary
heathcare centers and local hospitals. Two counselors,
Mr. Azman Anuar and Mr. Lawrence Yap, as well as a
psychiatrist, LTC (NS) Christopher Cheok (then a MAJ in
active service), were deployed to Indonesia.

Contributing Back to Society

The Medical Corps also had a strong presence in Indonesia. The Corps provided primary medical services
in Indonesia, partnering with the local hospitals and
helping out in the Accident & Emergency department.
The SAF Medical Corps also helped with surgical capabilities and running surgical theaters, and had mobilised a mobile operating theater at the disaster site.
Medical personnel also collaborated with the local authorities to work out health needs, including sanitary
and hygiene requirements.
LTC (Dr) Vernon Lee, then a CPT, was deployed to Indonesia to help out with the medical efforts in Indonesia. The magnitude of the devastation wrecked by the
tsunami shocked him and the rubble, stagnant water
and corpses made the area a hotbed for infectious
diseases. LTC (Dr) Lee noted, We saw many unique
diseases in Indonesia as many of the disaster victims
had numerous cuts from the debris. Tetanus was a big
problem, so we brought in tetanus immunoglobulin
and worked with UN agencies to support their vaccination programs. We were also worried about malaria
so we carried out fogging and sprayed insecticides.
Moreover, we visited the villages, spoke to the village
leaders and advised them on sanitation and hygiene.
Infectious diseases were not that much of a problem
for the SAF troops deployed to Indonesia, however. LTC
(Dr) Lee elaborated, We were well prepared our vaccinations were up-to-date, we took malaria pills, and
we had access to potable water and clean food.
Of the medical personnels efforts in Indonesia,
LTC (Dr) Lee commented: I think we did well and Im
proud of the team, including civilian volunteers. We

all came from different backgrounds, but dealt with

the problems effectively and quickly. We had a common goal, so we could work very well. We managed
to work with and collaborate with various stakeholders on the ground. For him, it was personally satisfying
to have made a difference in Indonesia. He recalled, I
was midway through my epidemiology speciality and I
managed to apply some of my knowledge. What I saw
there also helped me as I saw things in a real-life setting. Being able to interact with the different agencies
on the ground also gave me a good experience. Many
of the locals came up personally to thank us and it really touched the heart. All the sleepless nights and hard
work paid off. OFE was very fulfilling as I did something
to give back to society. To be part of the team and help
the local population is an experience Ill always take
with me.

Mr. Azman recalled, We were involved in crisis and

trauma management. We educated the locals on the
common symptoms of trauma and how to manage
their concerns for themselves and their loved ones. This
was important as many of the locals, from children to
elderly, presented with acute stress reactions. Therapy
was done on an individual basis as well as in groups. Individual therapy was done when locals sought medical
assistance and our medical officers directed them to
the psychologists to attend to their concerns. We also
approached families clustered at centers for families
displaced from their homes to conduct group therapy.

Lessons Learnt
BG (NS) Tan highlighted two important lessons he
learnt from OFE:
1. Train, practise, prepare, because you never
know when crises will happen. For whatever context,
you practise. The scenarios will be slightly different and
the context may vary, but training drills you to be able
to adapt and execute.
2.
Invest in human capital, our key resource. Our
people are well-educated and skillful, able to operate complicated systems, maintain them and execute
them. They are creative and able to think out of the
box, which helped us pull off such an operation.
OFE was a very challenging yet fulfilling experience
for BG (NS) Tan. He commented, OFE was about pulling my knowledge and experiences together, and
re-adapting it to a new context. We applied what we
learnt and practised over the years. Certainly OFE has
helped me as a leader and validated what Ive learnt
over the years in a very real context.

Departure
OFE was wrapped up on Hari Raya Haji, 21 January

2004. In the morning, Muslim personnel held their

prayers to start the day. Then, a memorial ceremony
at a mass gravesite was held for the disaster victims,
and our soldiers were joined by TNI soldiers and locals.
At the end of the ceremony, COL Geerhan Lantara, the
commander of the local TNI garrison and BG(NS) Tan
each laid a wreath to signify their condolences to the
disaster victims. As the man who had arrived ahead of
the other troops, BG(NS) Tan was also the last to board
the fast landing craft. That evening, the SAFs LSTs
sailed past Meulabohs mass grave, and the Commanding Officers of the ships each tossed a floral wreath into
the sea.

10 Years On

In an interview with Mr David Boey, (the Defence

Correspondent at The Straits Times who followed the
HASG), LG (NS) Ng Yat Chung, then the Chief of Defence Force of the SAF, said, We dont have a lot of assets. By any measure, what the SAF contributed was
only a small part of the whole. But I think we made an
impact. We made our contributions count because we
provided niche capabilities. Im proud of what our soldiers, sailors and airmen were able to contribute to this
humanitarian mission. The SAF did our part to bring
some relief to the victims of this massive disaster.
BG (NS) Tan also praised the soldiers who participated in OFE for a job well done: Everybody played a
really important role in OFE. Im tremendously proud
of them. The way they did things and conducted themselves make you feel proud to be Singaporean. They
were a testimony to who we are as a people. They
should rightfully be proud to have been part of something special and reached out to people.
More importantly, 10 years on, Singaporeans
thoughts remain with Indonesians and the disaster victims families. This anniversary, let us take the time to
remember the disaster victims, and empathise with the
pain and suffering that the disaster victims and their
families went through.

READY, DECISIVE, RESPECTED