Singapore Armed Forces Commando Formation - Training - Accidents and Safety Issues

Accidents and Safety Issues

As is the case for other SAF units, training safety is accorded high priority, particularly due to the sensitivity in handling the well-being of national servicemen who constitute a large part of the Commando Formation. Serious training incidents are relatively rare, but they were also rarely publicised or discussed in the media until recently. In 2003, training safety standard began to come under increased scrutiny when 2SG Hu Enhuai of the Singapore Guards died during a Combat Survival Training course conducted by the Commandos on 21 August. Four commandos were charged in court a year later for carrying out the "dunking" procedure deemed inappriopriate for training purposes.

Other recent incidents include the death of a regular serviceman, 2SG Rajagopal Thirukumaran of the Singapore Guards, after a run during the selection for the Ranger course conducted by the CTW on 3 September 2003, and a heli-rappelling incident on 14 July 2005 in which a regular commando, 1SG Shiva s/o Mohan, and a foreign serviceman were killed.

On 15 June 2005, another regular serviceman, 2SG Ong Jia Hui, 24, drowned during training, even though four instructors were within visible range from him at the Changi Naval Base. He was training as a member of the Maritime Counter-Terrorism Group in the SOF at the time of this death. On 20 June 2006, a 24-year-old commando died while undergoing training at a swimming pool in Hendon Camp.

During a night training exercise in Thailand, two commandos were accidentally shot by hunting farmers. The soldiers, a regular and a full-time conscipt serviceman were lightly injured and recovered shortly after.