With experiences such as confrontations with sea robbers and responding to mayday calls, Military Expert 3 (ME3) Chua Buan Hee has had an exciting and rewarding career spanning 26 years.
The Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) sailor started his naval adventure on the first-of-class RSS Fearless in 1995 and had three stints on Fearless-class patrol vessels (PVs).
Yesterday, the 44-year-old coxswain of RSS Gallant was filled with emotion as he watched the ship's commissioning pennant being lowered from its sail.
The lowering of the pennant during a decommissioning ceremony marks the official end of a ship's military service in the RSN.
RSS Gallant and RSS Freedom are the last of 11 operational PVs to be decommissioned. The PVs have been replaced by eight of the faster and more capable littoral mission vessels, which have been fully operational since January.
Speaking with reporters on board RSS Gallant on Thursday, ME3 Chua said: "Of course I'll be sad, but we still need to move on. With the littoral mission vessels online to replace the PVs, we have got to be happy, because we need to evolve to meet future threats."
At sunset, during the ceremony at Tuas Naval Base yesterday, the Chief of Navy, Rear-Admiral (RADM) Aaron Beng, ordered the decommissioning of RSS Gallant and RSS Freedom as the officiating officer. RSS Freedom was commissioned in 1998 and RSS Gallant a year earlier.
Delivering the citations for the two ships, the commander of the Maritime Security Task Force, RADM Yong Wei Hsiung, said they each sailed 314,000 nautical miles - enough to circumnavigate the earth 12 times - to defend Singapore's waters and support its defence relations.
"The magnitude of their contributions is outstanding. This would not have been possible without the unwavering dedication, professionalism, tenacity and sacrifices of many generations of officers and crew who served on board," he told the past and present crew of the ships, and senior RSN officers.
The PVs will not fully retire yet, with four of them earmarked for refurbishment as part of efforts to better protect Singapore's territorial waters and respond to maritime security threats.
ME3 Chua was part of the pioneer crew of the RSN's first PV, RSS Fearless, launched in 1995. He learnt his ropes as a junior gunner on the vessel from 1995 to 1997 - his first posting after he signed on.
In his second PV stint on RSS Brave from 2004 to 2007 as Chief Ordnance System, he experienced some of the most exciting days of his career, responding to emergency calls, including one involving sea robbers. In another incident, RSS Brave spotted a boat with two outboard motors and more than 10 people, whom they suspected were illegal immigrants.
While at RSS Brave, ME3 Chua was also involved in patrol operations around Pedra Branca - before the island located about 40km off eastern Singapore was awarded to Singapore in an International Court of Justice ruling in 2008.
He believes that passion for the job, being able to sail around the world and the family spirit in the navy have kept him going.
While he is not sure where he will be posted to next, he said: "Wherever the navy needs me, I will go."
