SINGAPORE – Hunting down threats lurking within the SAF’s digital network had not always been Military Expert 6 (ME6) William Teo’s domain.

In 1998, he began his career as an army signal officer with the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF).

But 17 years after honing his skills in signal operations, he jumped at the chance to learn how to conduct cyber-security audits in his role, calling it a “natural flow” in transferring his experience.

From that foray into cyber security, the 46-year-old now heads the Threat Hunting Centre at the Digital and Intelligence Service (DIS). The DIS is the SAF’s fourth service, strengthening Singapore’s defence against threats in the digital domain.

For keeping Singapore safe through various roles over 25 years, ME6 Teo was awarded a Long Service Medal at the annual National Day Awards Investiture, which was held at Mindef’s headquarters on Nov 27 and 28.

ME6 Teo was one of 942 personnel from Mindef and the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) who were recognised in 2023 for their outstanding performance and dedication to duty and service to the nation.

ME6 Teo, who has switched portfolios a few times during his career, said that the key to moving into new roles is to learn how to adapt to changes and acquire new skills. He pursued several SAF-related courses, even in his late 30s and early 40s.

“You have to keep abreast of technology, understand the cyber threats out there and be ahead of the curve,” said ME6 Teo. The challenge, he noted, is that learning is never-ending.

A total of 142 Commendation Medals, 162 Efficiency Medals – for exceptional efficiency or exceptional devotion to duty or for work of special significance – and 652 Long Service Medals were awarded to both military and non-military personnel.

The hunger to try new things in the SAF stood out among some award recipients.

ME6 Sathananthar Suresh was inspired by his uncle, pioneer fighter pilot Frank Singam, to sign on with the Republic of Singapore Air Force in 1995, when he was doing his national service.

Colonel (Ret) Singam would take him to exhibitions and air shows, where he enjoyed looking at the aircraft and hearing their engines roar.

ME6 Suresh started out in 1995 as a senior technician and later became an air maintenance officer. Today, he is an air force engineer and the deputy commanding officer of the 110 Squadron.

Despite his many achievements, ME6 Suresh is not slowing down. He is currently pursuing a master’s degree, part-time, in artificial intelligence, which he will complete in 2025.

ME6 Suresh, who was also awarded the Long Service Medal, said he wanted to dispel the misconception that there is nothing left to learn if one has been at the same workplace for decades.

The 48-year-old said he liked how the challenges provided by the air force make him feel alive, and that the work he does matters.

Both ME6 Teo and ME6 Suresh said their careers over more than two decades had taken them to unexpected places and kept things fresh, all while fulfilling the meaningful purpose of defending their country.

ME6 Suresh said his deployment to the migrant worker dormitories during Covid-19 as part of the Joint Task Force (Assurance) was one of the most memorable events of his career as he got to work with different agencies and organisations, such as the police, environmental groups and the migrant workers’ employers.

ME6 Teo cited organising the Critical Infrastructure Defence Exercise in 2022 and 2023 as important to him.

ME6 Teo added: “I find it particularly meaningful organising this exercise to train people (who) are not just within, but also people involved at a whole-of-government level, because we know that they all also need to be ready when the time comes.”