WEDNESDAY'S report ("SCDF 'will leave no stone unturned' in video probe") raises some questions about the standards of discipline within the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF).
The trainees involved in trashing a dormitory had just graduated as specialists from their section commander training.
This group comprised both full-time national servicemen and regular servicemen.
Their actions show that their standards of discipline are appalling.
They may have had the aptitude to complete their training, but their attitude is clearly lacking.
As leaders, they have disgraced both their uniform and their country.
They need to be punished for their actions.
They should also be made to compensate for the damage they have caused to government property.
On a deeper level, was their behaviour indicative of the standards within the SCDF?
Are there issues that need to be investigated?
Let us consider the differences in recognition trainees receive in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) and the SCDF.
In the SAF, when trainees - be they recruits, specialists or officer cadets - successfully complete their training, their graduation ceremonies are celebrated with pride, and witnessed by families and loved ones.
Not so in the SCDF. Its graduation ceremonies are "closed-door" affairs, which do not involve family members in attendance.
Why is there this difference? It should not be a question of budget or logistics. There should be a way to ensure the same level of recognition for all trainees.
How else do you build a culture of pride in the uniform when these servicemen are not honoured and recognised for their sacrifice from the very start? This matter needs to be addressed.
As one of the five pillars of our Total Defence, members of the SCDF should not be treated as poor cousins of the SAF.
Collis Loh Kah Fook
