RSAF's 142 Squadron among winners of SAF awards

It reclaims Best Fighter Squadron title; RSS Indomitable is Best Maritime Security Unit

- Kyleen Cabael and Taryn Ng

Lieutenant-Colonel (LTC) Wilson Wee, 35, was attending a flight safety briefing while feeling a little bit under the weather when a junior officer told him he was redcarded, the term his squadron uses when someone is assessed as not being fit to fly.

Although disappointed he could not fly, LTC Wee, who is commanding officer of the Republic of Singapore Air Force's (RSAF) 142 Squadron, respected the junior officer's call and took himself off the flight schedule.

"How often do you get a captain telling a lieutenant-colonel, 'Sir, you're not flying today"?" LTC Wee told reporters on June 25. The incident, which took place in 2023 and which he sees as emblematic of his team's culture of openness, is a point of pride for him.

"Anybody who sees something wrong can say something about it without the fear of repercussions," he said.

LTC Wee believes this culture contributed to his squadron reclaiming the title of Best Fighter Squadron in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) Best Unit Competition. Their previous win was in 2019.

The annual SAF Best Unit and Best NS Unit competitions were introduced in 1969 and 1993, respectively, to recognise units that have demonstrated excellence in combat readiness, operational proficiency and administrative excellence.