Coroner shocked by solder's death: How could it have happened?
SOLDIER Ong Jia hui drowned while training off Changi Naval Base - before the very eyes of his four instructors standing less than 10m away.
None of them saw him slip under the surface of the sea on June 15.
At Second Sergeant Ong's inquest yesterday, the State Coroner blasted the four instructors' lack of vigilance and found them responsible for his death through their negligence.
The Ministry of Defence had earlier said no safety regulations had been breached in the 24-year-old solder's death.
Second Sgt Ong, who had been training with four other Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) regulars, was found lying on the seabed moments after the instructors did a headcount and discovered they were one man short.
His life jacket, which was found to be defective, was never inflated. The coroner's report stated that as the leaking life vest was not activated, it "did not contribute" to 2nd Sgt Ong's drowning.
The SAF regular could not be revived and died in Changi General Hospital.
His SAF instructors – Master Sergeants Julian Tan, 32, and Tan Kang Choon, 33, First Warrant Officer Ho Yin Choy, 43, and Staff Sergeant Alex Chan, 28, - now face the possibility of criminal charges.
Yesterday, State Coroner Tan Boon Heng strongly criticized the instructors when he delivered his verdict.
"It is with a heavy heart that I must place on record that 2nd Sgt Ong's death happened under no less than watchful eyes of his trainers tasked to ensure the safety of the trainees," he said.
The judge was incredulous that all four men failed to notice the drowning trainee even though they were barely 10m away.
"I am more so alarmed since there was not just one pair of watchful eyes, but four pairs," he said. "I still cannot comprehend how all four could have missed Jia Hui sinking to death within a 10m radius."
The inquest earlier head that 2nd Sgt Ong and four others were on a Maritime Counter-Terrorism course that afternoon.
Their training required them to swim from a wharf to a ship 32 away and board it using a pole and a ladder.
Their supervising officer, Major Richard Koh, was showing the trainees how to board the ship using the pole. When he was done, he turned around, realised they were one trainee short and raised the alarm.
Second Sgt Ong was found nine metres underwater. He was motionless and was not entangled with seaweed or nets.
He was taken to the medical centre at Changi Naval Base where another shock was in wait. There was no medical officer present because Master Sgt Julian Tan did not inform the medical centre that they were undertaking a training exercise.
When asked about the coroner's findings, a Defence Ministry spokesman said: "The matter has been referred to the Attorney-General's Chambers. It would not be appropriate to comment"
Source: THE STRAITS TIMES FRIDAY DECEMBER 30, 2005
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Coffee lovers, the army wants you
Scientists hope to develop a caffeine pick-me-up pill for SAF soldiers
DEFENCE scientists are looking for "regular caffeine drinkers" to take part in a study that they hope will lead to the development of a special pill to keep soldiers alert in the field.
In what is believed to be the first extensive study of the effects of caffeine on Asians, DSO National Laboratories, Singapore's leading defence research and development organization, will spend three years analyzing the natural stimulant, which is found in foods such as coffee and tea.
The idea is that they will be able reproduce the pick-me-up feeling regular coffee drinkers enjoy in the form of a slow-release pill enabling Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) soldiers to remain vigilant even if sleep deprived.
Mr Fabian Lim, 40, head of the Military Physiology Lab at DSO's Defence Medical and Environmental Research Institute, said: "Several experiments will be conducted to understand the metabolism of caffeine in the local population…and if these effects translate into enhanced vigilance in the military context."
"DSO is also working on a pill that will maintain a sustained release of caffeine, so that caffeine is made available in the body over several hours."
The idea of caffeine pills is not new. Studies carried out in Europe and the United States have resulted in pills that delay the onset of fatigue. "In the US Army for example, caffeine is consumed by their soldiers in the form of a chewing gum," Mr Lim said.
But while caffeine pill can be bought off the shelf, DSO wants to develop its own tailor-made concoctions.
DSO scientists will attempt to break new ground by experimenting with caffeine pills of different potency. DSO's caffeine pills have been specially blended in Singapore for the study.
The tiny burgundy-coloured pills hold anything from the equivalent of half a cup of coffee to caffeine doses equivalent to two cups of coffee.
DSO scientists will try different doses on people with varying body weights, physical conditions and ages. The idea is to find the best match for different Asian body types.
Scientific data on how caffeine affects Asians scarce and DSO wants to scrutinize the stimulant's mediacal and psychological aspects to ensure the specially-blended pulls are safe.
Anyone aged between 18 and 35 - an age window that DSO said "representative of the age group in the SAF" - can take part in the study.
A DSO advertisement published in The Straits Times on Dec 7 has netted about a dozen responses, but Mr Lim hopes at least 60 more people will step forward.
DSO said it is targeting people who drink more than three caffeine-based beverages a day. Volunteers will be paid, but DSO said the amount is confidential.
The caffeine drinkers will be asked to stay at DSO' institute, next to the National University Hospital, for 48 hours. The tests will be repeated four times over a six-month period.
While at the lab, volunteers will be given capsules containing different caffeine doses, ranging from the equivalent of half a cup to two cups of coffee, then be asked to perform simple tasks to test their reflexes and mental agility.
For more information, call Mr David Fun on 6485-7108 or e-mail fchiokyu@dso.org.sg
Source: THE STRAITS TIMES THURSDAY DECEMBER 29, 2005
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Homely comforts for troops in the field
THE days of dried rations, purify-ing tablets and smelly fatigues are over. Today's Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) troops conduct their field exercises after enjoying a hot shower and donning freshly laundered uniforms, having satiated their appetites with piping hot chicken rice, nasi lemak, mee goreng and cool fresh water.
Since March this year, army chefs have been feeding hungry soldiers from new German-made mobile field kitchens, as part of a larger experiment that aims to provide soldiers "basic essential" such as hot meals, fresh water and proper sanitation.
Hundreds of SAF soldiers involved in the trials have even enjoyed hot showers, portable toilets and freshly cleaned uniforms during field exercises.
The field laundry comprises huge washing machines and clothes dryers - each about four times the size of the average household machine - that can wash and dry 100 sets of uniforms in less than five hours.
The new equipment, shown off during a show-and-tell session yesterday at Selatar Camp, will be ideal for soldiers sent on disaster relief or peace-keeping missions, where basic amenities "are often limited or unavailable".
Major Choo Jui Sheng, 32, an officer with the army's Headquarters Supply and Transport organisation, said that Mobile Field Utility System - as it has been named - can be easily transported by air, land and sea and set up in only 30 minutes.
This system provides water purification, cooking, cold storage, shower and toilet facilities, as well as field laundry.
"These necessities will help our soldiers maintain a high level of hygiene and morale, especially during relief missions in disaster-stricken areas, and allow them to perform their duties with greater effectiveness and efficiency," he said.
As SAF field manoeuvres and operations typically involve hundreds of men, the Mobile Field Utility System is builtto handle massive loads.
For instance, the refrigerators and freezers have enough space to store food for 1000 meals. And army chefs can use the kitchen to whip up meals for 500 people within four hours.
The old field works, which are about as wide as anoutstretched arm, would be hard-pressed to match that performance.
Corporal Rajendra Kumar, 22, an army rifleman who is trained as a chef, said the field kitchen allows different types of meals to be cooked in a much faster time.
Chefs regularly whip up Western meals like fish and chips along with Asian dishes life fried rice, curries and an assortment of stir-fried vegetables.
According to the chefs, the meals taste just as good as hawker centre dishes. The built-in oven - a previously unheard-of luxury - allowed the chefs to test their skills in the outdoors. "We've made chicken pies and even baked a cake for someone's birthday while on exercise," said Cpl Rajendra.
The trials are spearheaded by the army and engineers from the Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA), the unit that tests and acquires military equipment for the SAF.
These trials have been detailed, to say the least.
Mr Gerald Wong, a 27-year-old DSTA project engineer, said they even tested various combinations of shower length lasts five minutes and uses less than 30 litres of water.
Former SAF servicemen will remember just how different things were in the old days.
Instead of hot showers, soldiers dusted themselves with handfuls of talcum powder during "powder baths" to clean themselves.
Toilets were holes dug in the ground. Dirty uniforms were washed when soldiers returned to camp, or at weekends by their mothers or maids.
If the new equipment passes muster, this will be a thing of the past.
Source: THE STRAITS TIMES MONDAY DECEMBER 23, 2005
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NSman dies after fitness training
AN ARMY lance corporal collapsed and died in Maju Camp yesterday morning.
A Ministry of Defence statement said that 35-year-old Ho Wah Yeng had completed his remedial fitness training in the Clementi Road camp when he complained of chest pains.
While being examined by a medical officer, he collapsed at 11.15am. Within 10 minutes, he was at National University Hospital, but died an hour later. No other details were available.
Mindef will be conducting an investigation into the death.
Remedial fitness training is an eight-week, non-residential course to help operationally ready national servicemen pass the Singapore Armed Forces' Individual Physical Proficiency Test.
They can take the test as many times after their birthday as they like, and those who cannot pass it when they reach their next birthday will be required to undergo remedial training.
Lance Cpl Ho is the fourth serviceman to die this year. An army regular died playing street soccer in September, while two other soldiers died in June, one during a routine run and other after a job.
Source: THE STRAITS TIMES MONDAY DECEMBER 19, 2005
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Army Blogging
July, August, September, October, November and coming to December. Close to half a year. I have been Missing in Action for very long time. I'm quite busy with work, actually I'm just plain lazy to blog. However due to security reasons about web blogs, I will minimise writing about my army life especially posting up pictures. May afraid of becoming the center of attraction on the newspapers.
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