Commander of Joint Task Force (Assurance)

On 6 April 2020, an SAF team was hastily cobbled to lead an Inter-agency Task Force. The specified task was to manage the rapidly developing COVID-19 outbreak within our migrant worker PBDs. We quickly appreciated the situation and conducted Battle Procedure the next morning. By Wednesday 2359hrs, we deployed 43 FASTs, comprising both SAF and Home Team officers supported by Ministry of Manpower (MOM) to the 43 PBDs. The sense of duty, operational readiness and tactical competence of our people were admirable. Much of our success today rested on the selfless service and sacrifices of our staff and deployed FAST.

The first step was to understand the “enemy” we were fighting to suppress, and the migrant workers we were working hard to protect. This virus was novel and little was known then why it spread so fast and so far. There were many questions our epidemiological experts were grappling to explain. To sense-make and issue planning guidance, we went through the rigour of Mission Analysis and concluded that (like SARS in 2003) this was a crisis of fear for our migrant workers: fear of infection; fear of losing livelihood; and fear that nobody cared.

To address the fear of infection: our FASTs supported dormitory operations; educated PBD residents on the importance of personal hygiene; enforced Safe Management Measures; facilitated the establishment of Medical Posts; ensured the isolation of COVID-19 positive patients; and extracted close contacts to quarantine facilities. To tackle the fear of losing livelihoods: we worked with employers to ensure that our workers were paid at least part of their basic salary; we helped workers open bank accounts so that salaries could be given out safely and e-remittance could be performed; and for those who needed to physically send money home, we arranged regular remittance services in the dormitories. To demonstrate our care for workers: we celebrated festivals such as the Hindu and Bengali New Years, Hari Raya, Vesak Day, and Dragonboat festival with special meal arrangements; and developed targeted communication packages to assure them in their native tongue. We attempted to humanise our policies by reminding ourselves that at the end of every swab stick was a fellow human being who helped build our homes.

We named ourselves Joint Task Force (Assurance) to reflect the need for unity of effort amongst disparate entities and accentuate our Mission: to assure our migrant workers and provide care for them during this pandemic, so as to ensure public health and order. The team did an impromptu team-building and mass check-in on the first morning, so as to at least know each other's names.

Accomplishments

We were clear that this was not just a public health crisis to combat; it was also a potential crisis of fear we had to address. We were to serve as “forward defence” for our Public Health Institutions and stabilise the situation in the dormitories. We had a good plan, a great team, and our national leaders were firmly with us. Senior Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security Mr Teo Chee Hean and our MINDEF/SAF leadership paid close attention to our plans and actions, supported us with resources, and empowered us to carry out our duties.

JTF(A) very quickly Formed, Stormed, Normed, and Perfomed almost simultaneously. The gravity of the crisis meant that there was no luxury of time to get familiar with each other. The Professionalism, Discipline, and Fighting Spirit of team members drove the 24/7 battle cycle. Some did not have dinner with their families until the Sunday after “post-Circuit Breaker” Phase II (Day 77 of operations, which was incidentally Father's Day).

We had exceptional Logisticians. Within two weeks, we fed 210,000 workers three square meals in 43 PBDs across our island. We went the extra mile to ensure that our meals catered to various ethnic palettes. We conducted food surveys and brought chefs down to carry out food tasting to satisfy different preferences. We imported pooni rice for our Bengali PBD residents, and adjusted our curries and dhals. Our logistical efforts won much praise and appreciation from the workers we served.

This was truly a Whole-of-Society effort. Besides government agencies, JTF(A) also worked with NGOs such as the Migrant Workers Centre (MWC) and Healthserve in the provision of basic necessities and mental health support, and Temasek Holdings generously provided oximeters and swab testing capabilities. Our collective efforts helped Save Lives and Protect Livelihoods.

Challenges

The team was Mission focused. In a Coalition, with disparate cultures and expertise, we need to establish common understanding and lexicon, shared purpose and procedures, and advance in a firm but fair pace. The tension was in balancing competing Policy objectives: maintain essential services; test all workers quickly; clear the dormitories of the virus expeditiously to return workers back to work; and keep case count low so as to avoid overwhelming our healthcare system and alarming the public.

The challenges were manifold: things take time to plan, organise and execute; serology required maturity; matching nominal rolls amongst stakeholders with different versions and formats; the inefficiencies of clearing infection from the widely dispersed 1,140 Factory Converted Dormitories and 168 Construction Temporary Quarters; etc. Time must be invested to first appreciate the dynamic situation, translate evolving Policies into concrete plans, and communicate Orders for deployed forces (FAST, medical and testing teams) to act. Patience is needed to allow plans to bear fruit.

The number of fatalities amongst our migrant worker population was not more than the pre-COVID period. This may be attributed to the active surveillance of our deployed Medical Teams. But every death, COVID-19 related or otherwise, was a grim reminder for us to watch out for high risk groups, and be extra vigilant in our duty of care.

We tracked incidents within the dormitories. The statistics suggest that scuffles disputes, and misdemeanours were within pre-crisis statistics. But mental health concerns were emergent, particularly after the first month, and in the isolation facilities. Our migrant workers originate from active and communal cultures, and confinement bred cabin fever. Of particular worry were suicides. We tasked our SAF psychiatrists to lead efforts to proactively engage our migrant workers. We worked closely with professional counsellors (from Institute of Mental Health (IMH), MWC, and Healthserve), and ensured the timely return of workers who had completed their isolation and quarantine period back to their dormitory of origin.

Lessons

Our People readily answered the call of duty and were swiftly up-in-arms to action. Coalition operations requires trust, respect, and understanding. It is a patient process requiring leadership by example with empathy and engagement. In our Decision-Making process, we need to be inclusive and sensitive, and be careful in our choice of words.

C2 comprises three elements. First, Organisation. JTF(A) HQ was organised as an Operations Hub with Cells and Centres (e.g. Strategic Plans Cell, Anticipatory Ops Cell, Current Ops Cell), and our ground forces were organised along Task echelons (e.g. Task Force, Task Group, Task Unit). We found this effective and efficient. We commanded by Intent, and empowered sub-units to make tactical decisions. For instance, each PBD was unique, in varied conditions, and situated in different landscapes. When the FASTs were first deployed, each team conducted a needs assessment, and decided on the priority of tasks based on the particular needs and requirements of the dormitories. Most of the FASTs quickly concluded that the first task was to ensure hygiene, as the dormitories were not designed for full occupancy and 24/7 living, which resulted in choked sewage systems and overflowing waste bins.

Second, C2 is about Processes. The SAF Battle Procedure provided a comprehensive, methodical, and disciplined framework for Collective Appreciation of Situation, and the development of Courses of Action. We issued Orders at each phase to synchronise efforts, and direct the wide span of activities. We conducted wargaming to ensure smooth transitions, and worked out responses to contingencies. In our execution, we developed process loops for consistent delivery of outcomes, and Communications was a key line of operations. The Action Learning Process was interwoven into the fabric of our battle rhythm, and case studies were shared for lessons learnt. We believed it was okay to make mistakes (as there was no precedence to follow), but never twice.

Third, C2 requires Resources. The AOR process was adhered to, and we kept an eye on the budget. Innovation was encouraged: the Mobile Swab Station and Mobile Express Scanner were ground up ideas that ensured Mission success safely. Technology was a key enabler, and the deployment of MedTech helped save lives. Ultimately, people are our most precious Resource. I was most impressed with how our young Officers on vacation attachment were able to quickly ingest data and analyse trends, to rapidly develop targeted testing strategies and dormitory clearance plans. We should continue investing in our talents to pursue Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. Our junior officers devoted themselves to the Mission, worked together in concert, and adapted tactical actions in the face of dynamic situations to meet higher Intent. They give hope for the continued security and success of Singapore. We must persist in nurturing and inspiring them to serve and lead.

Conclusion

In response to the stress of delivering competing Policy objectives quickly, the dictum “slow is smooth, smooth is fast” guided the team to make sure we thought through the trade-offs, weighed the consequences, and deliberated the alternatives before drafting Orders for the ground to carry out. The FASTs often gave feedback that plans were constantly changing, such that the deployed forces could neither cope nor follow through. The discipline of going through our Battle Procedure ensured constancy and consistency of efforts.

Given the rapid spread of infection and paucity of information in the early days of April 2020, our then-Chief of Medical Corps famously said, “don't let perfection get in the way of a solution.” Indeed, there were times we had to make the best use of available data, stick to our principles, and collectively agree on the best course of action. Our Process Loops are useful heuristics to prevent paralysis.

At the initial stages of the operation, when infected cases peaked past 1,000 for days in the third week of April, and the enormity of the task overwhelmed the team, on a weekend morning after Command and Control Group (CCG) Meeting, a young Officer quoted Tolkien: “oft hope is born, when all is forlorn.” Then on, we celebrated small successes and progress raised optimism. Leaders must unite and give our people a Vision. We need to frame wicked problems in context, and complex solutions in understandable bite-size packages for staff to translate into actionable plans for ground units to execute. Our Operation Orders is a useful format to do so.

This operation is a manifestation of our Values as a society: that Singapore cares for our people, regardless of citizenship. It has been a humbling experience. I saw women and men from different creeds and all walks of life United by a Mission, committed to Unity of Effort, and serving as One United People. If we can continue this miracle, there is hope for our future and our children.

To Lead. To Excel. To Overcome.