[1], The office of CDF also carries with it a position as one of three full-time aides-de-camp to the President. 18 December 2017. "It's about being present and supporting what the active commanders are trying to do.". They have similar responsibilities and authority as Junior Officers. In army usage, the term "brigadier" was used to denote what is now known as a brigadier-general while the air force used the rank of air commodore. $20.00 + $4.99 shipping. The Belgian Army uses the rank of gnral de brigade (French) and brigadegeneraal (Dutch, 'brigade general'). Mr Vij said, Covering Pakistan was a special bonus for me because I had come from Pakistan. The addendum (VOL) is used for servicemen who have reached their statutory age cap from their reservist obligations but have voluntarily extended their service, e.g. In the first quarter of the 20th century, British and Commonwealth armies used the rank of brigadier general as a temporary appointment, or as an honorary appointment on retirement; in the 1920s this practice changed to the use of brigadier, which was not classed as a general officer. Two different kepis are issued: the service kepi sports the two stars, while the formal kepi features a large band of oak leaves (the kepi of a division general has two smaller such bands). Mr Vij retired from NOL in 1995 and started his own shipping consultancy firm. In the Italian Armed Forces the rank has different denominations. [3] For this reason, in France, the rank corresponding to brigade general was changed to brigadier general after NATO was established on April 4, 1949, and before that, it corresponded to major general. [8] While training to become an officer, they hold the rank of officer cadet or midshipman, which are considered equivalent in rank to a private. Im thankful Singapore gave me a chance to contribute, Mr Vij said in an undated interview with Rafflesian Times. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. During the recently-concluded SEA Games in Hanoi, the city-state's lone Olympic . The rank title brigadier-general is still used notwithstanding that brigades in the army are now commanded by colonels. "Our regulars gain much experience and expertise in the course of their careers," said Chief of Staff (General Staff) and Director (National Service Affairs) Brigadier-General (BG) Tung Yui Fai. The SAF Volunteer Corps (SAFVC) was established in October 2014[22] to allow female Singapore citizens, first generation permanent residents and naturalised citizens, all of whom would not ordinarily have any national service obligation, to serve as volunteers in the SAF. It is an even greater challenge and responsibility for a senior officer to attain the rank of Senior Lieutenant Colonel (SLTC) or Colonel (COL). Click to reveal Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you. After graduating, he signed up as a member of the Singapore Volunteer Corps (SVC), where he attended military courses conducted by the British Army. It is equivalent to the rank of rear admiral (lower half) in the other uniformed services. Brigadier-generals are initially addressed verbally as "General" and name; thereafter by subordinates as "Sir" or "Ma'am" in English or mon gnral in French. Enlisted personnel form the basic foundation of the Armys manpower. is the lowest ranking general in the Polish Land Forces and Air Force. Initially I thought the Egyptians wouldnt accept me because I had worked with the Israelis but they were very broadminded.. In the Chilean Army, Brigadier is a one-star rank and General de Brigada is the immediately superior two-star rank. Ranks denote the command status of individual soldiers in the hierarchy in the Singapore Army Military Ranks. The SAFVC ranks comprise five tiers from SAFVC Volunteer (Trainee), abbreviated as SV (Trainee), to SAFVC Volunteer 4 (SV4), enumerated by winged chevrons. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. Top civil servant Sim Kee Boon sacrificed family for country, book says, Join the conversations on TheHomeGround Asias, In Conversation With: Adele Lau, founder of animal-assisted interactions SG, Ms Adele Lau recounts how, as a teenager, the presence of animals helped her feel less anxious in social settings. The first Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) Inspector-General (IG) will assume office on 27 February 2019. RETIRED brigadier-generals in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) are being redeployed in an operational capacity as Deputy Division Commanders. An important task was networking and securing access for Singapores growing shipping industry to the Suez Canal. Hence, it is equivalent to the major general rank of many counties. [11], Recruits and privates of all armed services do not wear any rank insignia. On Friday,Tower Transit Groupannouncedthat it has appointed former Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) Chief Infantry Officer, Brigadier-General (NS) Winston Toh as the Managing Director of its Singapore bus operations. Updated February 22, 2019. From 1947 to 1999, brigadeiro become the two-star general rank in the Portuguese Army. [18] Choo stepped down in 1992, after 18 years as the head of the SAF. The general officer rank higher than the two brigadier generals is Divisional general. Published February 22, 2019. [5], A number of powers relating to summary trials for military offences is vested in the CDF. The rank name gnral de brigade (transl. Regular and reservist personnel may be further promoted to the rank of captain (CPT) after attending courses at the SAF Advanced Schools. (Until 1915, Australian brigades were commanded by colonels.) then-Minister of Defence, Dr Goh Keng Swee, in 1965 set the motions rolling and Mr Vij was tasked to help set up military training institute Singapore Armed Forces Military Institute (SAFTI). Building it once more. [4][dubious discuss]. Brigadier general was also used as an honorary rank on retirement. Retired Brigadier-General, Singapore Armed Forces. [5] Rank titles are also largely identical, with only two exceptions in the Republic of Singapore Navy, where general officers have admiral ranks while officer cadets are referred to as midshipmen.[6]. LG Ong assumed the office of CDF on 23 March 2018 but was promoted to lieutenant-general on 1 July 2018. With more than 10 years of service, they are the most experienced personnel in the Army. Military expert trainees are considered equivalent to the rank of private, while military expert apprentices are considered equivalent to the rank of Military Expert 1.[7]. [12], The role of the head of the SAF was first titled as "Director, General Staff" around 1969, and was held by Brigadier-General T. J. D. Campbell,[13] who was previously Head of the Singapore Defence Force (19651966), and the Singapore Volunteer Corps (late 1950s1965) before the independence of Singapore in 1965. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. [19], Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew described Goh Keng Swee as the de facto armed forces chief of staff when the latter was Minister for Defence. [17], While technically ranking below commissioned officers, warrant officers are addressed by junior commissioned officers as "Encik" for males or "Cik" for females, in respect of their experience and knowledge. Its equivalent in the Navy (Armada) is contraalmirante. The rank of brigade general inherited the two stars of the rank of marchal de camp, explaining the absence since 1793 of a French rank with only one star. In the United States Army, United States Air Force, United States Marine Corps, and United States Space Force, a brigadier general is a one-star general officer. Prior to the appointment of Choo as Chief of the General . When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000 troops (four battalions). Genera brygady (lit. Get unlimited access to all stories at $0.99/month for the first 3 months. A brigadier-general is senior to a colonel or naval captain, and junior to a major-general or rear-admiral . The gift link for this subscriber-only article has expired. On his new appointment at Tower Transit, BG (NS) Toh said: Tower Transit is a UK-founded company that was awarded the Singapore governments first competitively-tendered bus contract in May 2015. In addition, staff-level ranks contain a coat of arms of Singapore between the upward-pointing and downward-pointing chevrons. Unwrapped: Spore set law to stop cancel culture but is POFMA cancel culture? He had been promoted to each of the general ranks in 1974, 1978 and 1988. Mr Vij left SAFTI in 1968 for the Ministry of National Defence (MINDEF) where he worked to set up the Staff College for Senior Officers and a Brigade Headquarters. bryg.) Before the position was created, the head of Singapore Armywhich at that time made up the militaryheld the position of Director, General Staff. [10], Military experts are soldiers that serve in specific military domains under the Military Domain Experts Scheme (MDES), which is a separate rank scheme that was introduced in April 2010. In addition, they may only be charged for military offences by superior commanders. [16] Like officers, they may also carry ceremonial swords on parades, and wear their ranks on their shoulder epaulettes. 2022. George Yeo Yong-Boon ( Chinese: ; pinyin: Yng Rngwn; born 13 September 1954) is a Singaporean former politician and brigadier-general who served as Minister for Foreign Affairs between 2004 and 2011. France uses the rank of "brigade general" (gnral de brigade). Promising enlistees with command potential will go to SCS (Specialists Cadet School) for Specialist courses or Officer Cadet School (OCS) for Officer Cadet courses. SINGAPORE ARMED FORCES The Joint Staff. [10] Privates can be further promoted to the ranks of private (first class) (PFC), lance corporal (LCP), corporal (CPL), and corporal (first class) (CFC), if they perform well. Brigadier-General (BG) Tan Chee Wee, who is currently Director Joint Operations, will also concurrently assume the appointment of Chief of Staff - Joint Staff (COS-JS) on the same day. In the Army, the rank for combat arms officers is generale di brigata whilst for the logistics and technical corps is called brigadier generale. Before that, simply as brigadeiro, it existed from 1707 to 1864 and again from 1929 to 1947, not being considered a general rank. Since 2012, Vice-Chairman, Kerry Group; Chairman, Kerry . The rank of brigadier general is the first general officer rank in the Fuerzas Militares,[1] and the National Police.[2]. Shiang Long last held the rank of Brigadier-General which he attained in 2009. Copyright 2021 @ TheHomeGround Asia. [8], As head of the SAF, the CDF often makes visits to countries with shared military interests, such as Bahrain,[9] Japan,[10] and Vietnam,[11] and also occasionally hosts foreign military chiefs on official visits. Kirpa Ram Vij, Singapores first Chief of Armed Forces and Brigadier-General dies. BA, Cambridge; MBA, Harvard. All right reserved, Winter sips, members exclusives and CNY treats with Starbucks Singapore festive menu. [8] Since 22 December 2008, all specialist trainees bear the rank of specialist cadet (SCT) while undergoing specialist training. SINGAPORE Brigadier-General Tan Chee Wee has been appointed the first Inspector-General of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), the Defence . Enlistees make up the bulk of manpower in the SAF and comprise the majority of full-time national servicemen. When wearing the No. Before becoming High inflation and recession. He admitted that he was, at first, apprehensive about his posting, afraid that the Egyptians would be hostile towards him because of his direct relationship with the Israel military. [16] The rank titles do not have unique names, but are instead suffixed by a cardinal number from 1 to 9 (for example, Military Expert 3 or ME3), with 1 indicating the most junior rank and 9 the most senior. Mr Tan will be replacing current CEO Jamie Ang, 44, who took on the role on Oct 1, 2019. Commanding Officers begin their duties at the rank of Major (MAJ), and only the few who can distinguish themselves will attain the rank of Lieutenant Colonel (LTC). The Argentine Army does not use the rank of brigadier-general, instead using brigade general (Spanish: General de brigada) which in turn is the lowest general officer before Divisional General (Spanish: General de Division) and Lieutenant General (Spanish: Teniente General). Until the late 1990s brigades were commanded by brigadier-generals. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. BG Tan joined the SAF in 1993 as an Air Traffic Controller . [10] The master sergeant is the pinnacle rank of the specialist corps. He also had concurrent coverage as non-resident ambassador to Lebanon, Yugoslavia and Pakistan. This helped Mr Vij to move into the private sector when he became the general manager of the Neptune Orient Line (NOL) after leaving the civil service. The lights and cameras were in full action as the eagerly awaited OPPO Find N2 Flip made its debut in. SEARCH Home. BG (VOL) Lim actually handed over command of the Singapore 6th Division to BG (VOL) Ishak back in 2008 while BG (NS) Tan commanded the Singapore 3rd Division from 2005 to 2008. Where the rank insignia is worn depends on a number of factors, including the uniform type, rank scheme, gender, and service of the serviceman. Mr Vij said, Covering Pakistan was a special bonus for me because I had come from Pakistan. Singapore, a country generally known for its efficiency and bureaucratic excellence, has in recent times been plagued . MG Khong assumed the office of COAF on 22 March 2019 but was promoted to major-general on 1 July 2019. He also served as adviser for the Hindu Endowment Board and Executive Committee member of SINDA for several years. View agency's location map . The Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) and the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) are promoting 778 uniformed personnel from MINDEF Headquarters, Army, Navy, Air Force and Joint this year. The SAF Military Domain Experts are professional experts in various military domains and pursue deep specialisation and expertise. The two brigade group structure envisages distinct operational areas of responsibility for each of the brigades and is supported in its responsibilities by the Naval Service and Air Corps. He was head of the SAF between 1970 and 1974, and became a brigadier-general in 1972. 104.237.4.30 Singapore's first Chief of Armed Forces and Brigadier-General Kirpa Ram Vij died on 29 Oct. Charles de Gaulle held the rank of brigade general. They progress from Third Sergeant (3SG) to Second Sergeant (2SG) to First Sergeant (1SG). Brigadier-General Lee Yi-Jin Singapore Armed Forces Sergeant Major They are normally entitled to staff cars. It is the equivalent of the commodore rank in the Portuguese Navy. You have reached your limit of subscriber-only articles this month. In addition, female warrant officers, officers, and military experts wear their rank insignia on the collars when wearing the No. [8][10][18], The general officers are the highest-ranking officers in the SAF, and are responsible for broad strategy and policies which affect the entire armed forces. In the air force context, brigadier-generals used to command air force groups until these bodies were abolished in the late 1990s. [8] [10] General officers of the Army and Air Force use general-based ranks, while those of the Navy use admiral-based ranks. The three branches of the SAF was unified in 1972,[1] but prior to 1982, the three component services maintained their own distinct sets of uniform insignia, particularly for officer-level ranks. var year = new Date();document.write(year.getFullYear()); Government of SingaporeLast Updated 23 Mar 2022. brigade general) was first used in the French revolutionary armies. Im thankful Singapore gave me a chance to contribute, Mr Vij said in an undated interview with Rafflesian Times. Privates and Recruits do not wear ranks on their sleeves. He was 87. If they prove themselves to be capable and responsible, they may even attain staff-level ranks, such as Staff Sergeant (SSG) or Master Sergeant (MSG). But with the threat of Konfrontasi, a policy of. His former experience had stood him in good stead the Cadet Corps was his extracurricular activity at RI, here he worked his way up the ranks to quartermaster. Before this, the highest appointment an NSman could hold was that of division chief of staff, which is typically a rank of colonel. He may have hailed from Russia but Dr Alexander Kuznetsovs commitment to bringing out the best in children is a From Salzburg to Singapore, the hills will come alive with The Sound Of Music from 22 Nov to 18 Dec. Gold, silver, and bronze. Once Recruits complete their Basic Military Training . The Rank Insignias illustrated here are for the camouflage-typed No. Before becoming the Director of General Staff, Mr Vij served in the civil service. This system of rank insignia was reinstated in 2014. The SAFVC rank structure comprises 5 tiers, enumerated by winged chevrons. The general officers are the highest-ranking officers in the SAF, and are responsible for broad strategy and policies which affect the entire armed forces. Nowadays, a French gnral de brigade generally commands a brigade. As two-star rank, it was substituted by the rank of major-general in 1999. Retired Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) Brigadier General Sarbjit Singh holds several distinctions from almost 32 years of military service. It is still more popularly called brigadier. [7] Prospective officers are required to hold A-Level, International Baccalaureate, polytechnic diploma or equivalent tertiary qualifications, and career officers are encouraged to obtain higher studies in universities. 67682541. He is also a member of the expert group supporting the Public Sector Data Security Review Committee which was convened in March 2019. Director of Joint Operations. In 1926, the brigadiere generale and maggior generale in comando di brigata were merged and renamed to their current rank designation.The rank is also present in the other armed forces, police corps and other services of Italy, with different denominations, and it is associated with the lowest level within the government top management. [12], Specialists serve as the junior commanders in the Singapore Armed Forces. Mindef said that it currently has more than 200 volunteers across various ranks holding different appointments in the SAF. Singapores first Chief of Armed Forces and Brigadier-General Kirpa Ram Vij died on 29 Oct. List of chiefs of Defence Force (1990present), As Minister of Defence, Goh has been described by, Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources, Secretary-General of the National Trades Union Congress, "MINDEF - About Us - Organisation Structure", "CP MEETS SINGAPORE CHIEF OF DEFENCE FORCE", "Courtesy Visit by Singapore Armed Forces Chief of Defence Force", "Defence co-operation, ties with Singapore appreciated", "China's PLA Chief of General Staff visits Singapore", "Ex-army chief, BG Campbell, dies in Australia", "History - 1966 - The Beginning of SAFTI (Volume 12 Issue 2)", "Appointment of Singapore's High Commissioner to South Africa", "Appointment of Lt-Gen (Retd) Winston Choo as High Commissioner to Papua New Guinea", "Eulogy by Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew at the State Funeral Service For The Late Dr Goh Keng Swee at the Singapore Conference Hall, Sunday 23 May 2010", "Goh Keng Swee Command & Staff College unveiled", "SAF institute named after Goh Keng Swee", "The Singapore Army - News Archive - A Night To Remember Signals 45th Anniversary Military Dining-In", "SAF Joint Staff celebrates 25 years and beyond", "SAF promotes 273 of its best senior officers", "Glowing tributes to the SAF's founding father", "Chief of Defence Force Change of Command Parade", "Change of Chief of Defence Force and Service Chiefs", "Change of Chief of Defence Force and Chief of Army", "Change in Chief of Defence Force and Chief of Army", "CDF's retirement prompts speculation over entry to politics", "RADM Aaron Beng becomes first Navy chief to be appointed Singapore's Chief of Defence Force", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Chief_of_Defence_Force_(Singapore)&oldid=1141730549, All Wikipedia articles written in Singapore English, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. Published by SPH Media Limited, Co. Regn. [13] Senior specialists are trained at the SAFWOS Leadership School (SAFWOS) before becoming warrant officers, and selected operationally-ready national servicemen may also be selected for warrant officer rank. Visiting Scholar, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore. The clearly-stated hierarchy makes it possible for a large fighting body such as the Army to accomplish tasks with speed and efficiency, and properly established chain of command. Until 1793, the rank of brigadier des armes ("brigadier of the armies") existed in the French Army, which could be described as a senior colonel or junior brigade commander. The rank was reintroduced in 1999. Unlike other armed forces of the World, the rank of brigadier general is actually the highest rank in the Air Force. "One thing that struck me when I was a regular was the number of senior personnel who had reached the statutory age (of the Enlistment Act) but continued to volunteer in the SAF. It is used both brigadier general and major general because it is used for the designated rank of the general officers that the country stipulates as brigade commanders' class by law. He even received the Sword of Honour, an award given to the best cadet in the whole regiment. Instead, he was warmly welcomed and carried out his duties easily to further strengthen Singapores economic and political ties with Central Asia. They possess the technical knowledge in their field and provide the subject matter expert opinions to support the SAF mission requirements. Paragraph 2, Section 62 of the Singapore Armed Forces Act states that any offence in which the accused holds the rank of Colonel or Military Expert 7 is to be referred to the CDF,[6] who can then dismiss the charge, hold a summary trial, or pass the case on to the director of legal services of the SAF,[7] who can in turn instruct the CDF to try the accused. SINGAPORE At 18, she wanted a job that would offer adventure and meaning, and thought the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) could be the right place. BG HO Kum Luen. Specialists usually serve as instructors or are put in charge of groups of men. The rank insignia was like that of the current major general, but without the star/pip. Performance & security by Cloudflare. Cloudflare Ray ID: 7a29bbb2ce3a0bac Each of the rank has two or three paygrades except for the ranks of ME7, ME8, and ME9, where there is only one paygrade and no suffix is used. Brigadier general is equivalent to commodore of the Bangladesh Navy and air commodore of the Bangladesh Air Force. Ashtiani added, "The Ministry of . Both Bey Soo Khiang and Lim Chuan Poh were cited for having "positioned the SAF to meet the challenges in the 21st century" and for improving the SAF's capacity to use latest technology in advancing the forces' proficiency; Ng Yat Chung's retirement citation noted that he "successfully commanded the overall deployment of the SAF in peace support operations in, Desmond Kuek was cited for "(leading) the SAF's transformation into a modernised, integrated and networked fighting force", This page was last edited on 26 February 2023, at 14:14. He was 87. The rank of brigadier general is reserved for the Chief General Staff of the Air Force, as well as the Chief of the Joint General Staff if he should be an Air Force officer. The Rank Insignias illustrated here are in black and white but the actual background are in the respective colours of each Service (Army, Navy & Air Force). Expert soldiers who have undergone professional military training courses are known as Specialists. Due to the political sensitivity of the region, working with the Israeli and the setting up of SAFTI was kept a secret. "It's certainly a privilege to continue to serve alongside our regulars," said BG (VOL) Lim. The rank insignia of specialists consists of three downward-pointing chevrons for the lowest rank of third sergeant, with additional upward-pointing chevrons depending on their seniority. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000 troops (four battalions ). The Singapore Army welcomed its new Chief of Army (COA) today as Major-General (MG) Goh Si Hou handed over the command to Brigadier-General (BG) David Neo at a Change of Command Parade held this evening at Pasir Laba Camp. Please enter your username or email address to reset your password. Ravi Singh, 46, is working as Deputy Secretary (Technology) in . BG (Volunteer) Lim Teck Yin, now the chief executive officer of the Singapore Sports Council, holds the Deputy Division Commander position in the Singapore 9th Division. Gan Siow Huang PPA(P) (Chinese: ; pinyin: Yn Xiofng; born 1974) is a Singaporean politician and former brigadier-general who has been serving as Minister of State for Education and Minister of State for Manpower concurrently since 2020. Hd, Joint Plans and Transformation Dept. His seven-minute meeting with then-Minister of Defence, Dr Goh Keng Swee, in 1965 set the motions rolling and Mr Vij was tasked to help set up military training institute Singapore Armed Forces Military Institute (SAFTI). Once recruits graduate from their BMT they attain the rank of private (PTE). The country is divided into two areas for administrative and operational reasons, and in each area there is an infantry brigade. Initially I thought the Egyptians wouldnt accept me because I had worked with the Israelis but they were very broadminded.. In some countries, this rank is given the name of brigadier, which is usually equivalent to brigadier general in the armies of nations that use the rank. As of 1 July 2021, the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) has one three-star generalChief of Defence Force, 3 two-star generals and 24 one-star generals (to be updated). Their rank insignia consists of stars, ranging from one for brigadier generals (BG) and rear admiral (one-star) (RADM(1)), two for major generals (MG) and rear admiral (two-star) (RADM(2)), and three for lieutenant generals (LG) and vice admirals (VADM). [14], Warrant officers are typically promoted from the ranks of specialists and generally have more than ten years of service,[10] although outstanding specialists can attain the rank of third warrant officer as soon as seven years into service. "I think for us to serve reinforces the same message - to help the next generation of leaders. 1988-2011, in government, including as Minister for Information and the Arts, Minister for Health, Minister for Trade and Industry, and Minister for Foreign Affairs. 1966 Press Photo Brigadier General Ellis W. Williamson in San Antonio, Texas. Visiting Scholar, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore. However, in this small military there are no permanent promotions to this rank, and it is only awarded as a temporary promotion to a full colonel who assumes a post requiring the rank, notably in an international context (e.g. The name is derived from tugay, the Turkish word for a brigade. Warrant officers serve as senior mentors and disciplinarians in units as well as training institutes. Regular personnel may progress further to the staff-level ranks of staff sergeant (SSG) or master sergeant (MSG). Military ranks are sometimes suffixed with an abbreviation to denote certain circumstances under which the personnel holds the rank. Brigade general is the rank of a brigade commander in countries where the French Revolutionary System's general officer rank designation is used. Junior Officers graduate from OCS with the rank of 2nd Lieutenant (2LT), and are promoted to Lieutenant (LTA) after they have had sufficient experience. SportSG completes takeover of Sports Hub. Mr Kirpa Ram Vij contributed greatly to Singapore's armed forces, the country's relationship with Central Asia and the shipping industry. Singapore's "Paper Generals". The Junior Officers wear bars on their epaulettes. Launched in December last year, the DJI Mini An odd otter, digital art generator, and a special edition watch strap. Prior to 2001, the Bangladesh Army rank was known as brigadier, in conformity with the rank structure of the Commonwealth Nations. A few years later, BG (NS) Toh becameExecutive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer atST Engineering, which is owned by Singapores sovereign wealth fund, Temasek. Mr Vij was told by the late George Bogaars then that he was going to be posted to a military position. TheHomeGround Asia looks back at his work and achievements in the armed forces, foreign service and in shipping. The newly created post,. As a reminder of his war position, he refused any further promotion. Brigadier-General Ravi Singh (left) will take over from Major-General Chan (right) as Chief of Army. A year after Mr Vij became Deputy Secretary at MND, he was sent as resident ambassador to Egypt in time for the reopening of the Suez Canal.