{"id":35091,"date":"2024-04-19T10:00:48","date_gmt":"2024-04-19T02:00:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hometeamns.sg\/frontline\/?p=35091"},"modified":"2024-06-10T23:51:24","modified_gmt":"2024-06-10T15:51:24","slug":"total-defence-in-every-sense-of-the-word","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hometeamns.sg\/frontline\/total-defence-in-every-sense-of-the-word\/","title":{"rendered":"Total defence in every sense of the word"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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LTC (NS) William Wong reflects on 40 years of total defence and what it means for Singapore.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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TEXT: KEENAN PEREIRA<\/p>

PHOTOS: LTC (NS) WILLIAM WONG<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Four decades on, the term \u201ctotal defence\u201d is more important than ever, according to LTC (NS) William Wong. \u201cIn recent times, there have been no lack of examples to drive home the message of being crisis-ready, be it for a natural disaster or national emergencies,\u201d says the 45-year-old.<\/p>

One need not look further than the COVID-19 pandemic to observe how the six pillars of Total Defence safeguard the nation. He adds: \u201cTo me, Total Defence is about every Singaporean coming together<\/a> to play their different roles and protect what matters most to us.\u201d<\/p>

Ensuring Singapore\u2019s readiness for crises and disruptions is the responsibility of agencies such as the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF), where LTC (NS) Wong started his career and continues to serve as an NSman.<\/p>

\u201cMany naturally associate SCDF with firefighting and emergency medical services,\u201d he shares. \u201cBut beyond that, there is a huge team of passionate and committed SCDF officers who are involved in other aspects of contingency planning \u2013 such as the operational standby for the annual National Day Parade or key events like the biennale Singapore Airshow \u2013 to ensure that Singaporeans will be protected against a wide spectrum of potential threats.\u201d<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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A LIFELONG COMMITMENT<\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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LTC (NS) Wong is one such officer. He began his journey at Central Fire Station in 2004 as a regular officer, before being posted to the elite Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team (DART) unit as a Rota Commander in 2008. \u201cMy responsibility was to ensure the team\u2019s readiness at all times. And when we were out responding to emergencies, I would lead them and look out for their safety,\u201d he recounts.<\/p>

During his time with SCDF, LTC (NS) Wong also had a posting with the Civil Defence Academy, where he had opportunities to share his experience with local and overseas trainees. These rotations helped him to lay the foundation for a successful career in emergency preparedness.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Front row, first from left: LTC (NS) Wong at the opening of SCDF\u2019s urban search and rescue course for international participants.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Today, LTC (NS) Wong serves as the Deputy Director of a division within the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), focusing on crisis planning for maritime incidents such as ferry mishaps and oil spills, as well as addressing emerging risks related to climate change and the adoption of green fuels.<\/p>\n

Reflecting on his current role, he believes that he is contributing to the Economic Defence pillar. \u201cDuring the COVID-19 pandemic, we learnt that it was important for the maritime sector to enhance the resiliency of global supply chains,\u201d he explains.<\/p>\n

He credits much of his success to his time in SCDF, which has given him the confidence and expertise to manage difficult situations.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\u201cAs a Key Appointment Holder, we will naturally take on more roles and responsibilities. Although I started off as very operational and hands-on, my role gradually transitioned to strategic-planning over time \u2013 from curating the yearly In-Camp Training (ICT) programme and mission exercise planning to leadership succession planning for our NS officers.\u201d<\/p>

\u2013 LTC (NS) William Wong on his NS journey<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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NURTURING TOMORROW\u2019S GUARDIANS<\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Beyond preparing him for a civilian career, SCDF was also where LTC (NS) Wong met his wife, LTC Carolyn Low. Recalling their shared journey, he says, \u201cWe were working in the same fire station with good food in the vicinity. One day, I asked her out for dinner and the rest is history.\u201d<\/p>

The couple have five children, aged between five and 12. Total Defence is a concept that LTC (NS) Wong has strived to instil in them from an early age. He also actively involves his children in grassroots activities such as the Community Resilience Day or Safety & Security Days within his constituency, to imbue these values in them.<\/p>

\u201cI hope that emergency preparedness will become second nature to them as they grow up,\u201d he explains. \u201cSkills such as first aid, firefighting and CPR \u2013 are important as they can make the difference between life and death. If my children can help to save lives, I would be very proud of them!\u201d<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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From left to right: LTC Tan Jee Piau, Head of the Community Engagement Branch in the 2nd SCDF Division; LTC (NS) Wong; Mr Masagos Zulkifli, Minister for Social and Family Development, Second Minister for Health, Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs and MP for Tampines GRC; COL Bob Tan, Deputy Director of the Volunteer and Community Partnership Department at HQ SCDF; and Community Emergency and Engagement committee member Avery Hoo during Community Resilience Day in May last year.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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COMMUNITY AT THE HEART OF DEFENCE<\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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As the Deputy Unit Commander of Battalion HQ, LTC (NS) Wong oversees the ICT programme for over 200 NSmen. He impresses upon his children that the community plays a key role in emergency preparedness. \u201cI feel that SCDF\u2019s vision of making Singapore a nation of lifesavers is a worthwhile pursuit,\u201d he observes. \u201cTo have more responders on the ground, to be able to render assistance to people around us, to bounce back quickly from a crisis, and hopefully be more resilient.\u201d<\/p>

To support this vision, he also serves as the chair of his constituency\u2019s Community Emergency and Engagement (C2E) committee. C2Es are community emergency preparedness units formed within each constituency to help strengthen community resilience through exercises in operational readiness.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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LTC (NS) William Wong (third row, third from left) alongside his C2E committee colleagues (in yellow polo shirts), SCDF officers, grassroots leaders from the Resident Network and staff from Tampines West Community Centre during a fire evacuation drill. <\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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In addition to his civilian and NSman roles, LTC (NS) Wong is also an Honorary Aide-de-Camp to the President of Singapore. How does he juggle numerous commitments, including his five children, his career, community involvement, on top of his NS responsibilities?<\/p>

LTC (NS) Wong explains that as with most things, time management and prioritisation are key. \u201cI am very fortunate to have strong family support to help with my children whenever the need arises,\u201d he says. \u201cAt my workplace, I am supported by colleagues and superiors who are understanding and flexible. In my ICT unit, the officers and men are cohesive and committed, and we are bound by the common mission of making our time at ICT count. And at the end of the day, we want to go home, safe and sound.\u201d<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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LTC (NS) William Wong reflects on 40 years of total defence and what it means for Singapore.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":35119,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-35091","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-close-up"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nTotal defence in every sense of the word<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"LTC (NS) William Wong reflects on 40 years of total defence and what it means for Singapore.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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