Soldiers from the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) and the United States Army trained together to forge stronger working relations and strengthen inter-operability in Exercise Tiger Balm, held in Singapore, from 17 to 28 Jul.
An estimated 500 personnel from Headquarters 10th Singapore Infantry Brigade and 5th Battalion Singapore Infantry Regiment (5SIR), as well as 330 personnel from 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division from the US Army Pacific and 29th Infantry Brigade Combat Team from the Hawaii Army National Guard participated in the annual exercise, which has been held since 1981.
Speaking at the closing ceremony at Mandai Hill Camp on 28 Jul, Brigadier-General (BG) Goh Si Hou, Commander 6th Singapore Division, was glad to see the servicemen displaying high levels of professionalism and commitment throughout the exercise.
BG Goh added: "The exercise has been an excellent platform for professional exchanges as the two armies inter-operate at a combined task force, brigade and battalion level. I believe our commanders and soldiers have all benefited immensely from this experience, and from the perspective of the SAF, the exercise has also been a valuable opportunity to benchmark and learn from a first class US Army."
Hawaii National Guard Adjutant General BG Arthur Logan agreed with BG Goh's point on the benefits of the exercise and elaborated: "The knowledge and experience gained, through an investment of hard work, sweat, and determination, applicable to potential real-world events in the future, will illustrate the relevancy of the Tiger Balm exercise construct."
Enhanced realism
This year's Exercise Tiger Balm - the largest in the series so far - was planned with a primary focus to inject more realism into the training. This was achieved through the conduct of platoon live-firing and a field exercise, where troops from both armies conducted missions planned by the brigade command post.
When asked what he had taken away from the exercise, Captain (CPT) Shahreel Rajaratnam, Officer Commanding of Alpha Company, 5 SIR said: "The exercise served as a platform for both armies to share their knowledge and experience in military operations."
Giving an example, CPT Shahreel recalled how a soldier from the US Army shared with him the tactics that they would use when they manoeuvre through terrains they are familiar with back in the US, while CPT Shahreel shared with him his experience in operating in a densely-populated environment, like that in Singapore.
"Overall, working alongside the US Army was an eye-opener for my men and me, as we learnt to see and do things from their perspective. Also, we learnt some of the tactics that the US Army uses that are different from ours, and this can help us refine some of our drills."
Agreeing with CPT Shahreel's point, Capt. Nicholas Runyon Company Commander with 3rd Battalion 21st Infantry Regiment added that the exercise was more than just an exchange of military ideas and tactics.
He said: "Through all the training, in my opinion, both companies have definitely learnt from each other, not just from a military standpoint, but also culturally. We understood better the different methods each of us uses, which allows for greater inter-operability."
When asked about his experience in the exercise, Capt. Runyon said: "We have enjoyed our time working with the SAF, as they are a professional army and we are definitely looking forward to working with them again."
Overcoming challenges
Although the exercise went well for both armies, it was not without its challenges. Staff Sergeant (SSG) Jacob Lee Hong Kang, a Platoon Sergeant in 5 SIR, said: "We had problems communicating with the US Army at first. For example, during the firefights, the code words that they used differed from ours, so we could not understand each other's commands.
"Luckily, we had table-top exercises before the actual ones, so that we would know what each other would be doing at any point in time during the exercise. That eliminated any form of miscommunication we might have."
For Sergeant (Sgt.) (P) Jesse Ray, a Squad Leader with 3rd Battalion 21st Infantry Regiment, the highlight of the exercise was the chance to train with the SAF on unfamiliar terrain.
He said: "We have to adapt to moving through the vegetation that is thicker than that we are used to. Moreover, the weather here is hotter and we have to make sure that everyone remains well-hydrated to prevent any heat casualties."
Sgt. (P) Ray thanked the SAF for "being a good host by creating an enjoyable and conducive environment to work in".
The 37th edition of Exercise Tiger Balm held this year also featured the "Live-Virtual-Constructive" training approach. The "Live" aspect of the exercise comprised the Combined Arms Live Fire Exercise (CALFX) between the two armies, while the "Virtual" aspect involved the employment of the Virtual Battlespace Simulator 2 (VBS2) for surveillance tasks. The "Constructive" aspect saw the linking of the US Joint Conflict and Tactical Simulation (JCATS) with the SAF's Army Wargame Simulation System (AWSS) to allow the exchange of ground tactical information.