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Inside Reconnaissance Platoon, 3rd Singapore Infantry Regiment


Introduction

Many people thought it was strange of me when I first chose to make a study on the organization and workings of a troop formation in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF). Wouldn't it be easier, they reasoned, to make a similar study of a more "conventional" business organization? My argument is that perhaps no other organization has the kind of clear-cut structure, hierarchy of roles and complex task allocation than the armed forces--it takes more than just toughness and guts to run a military organization. The purpose of this study is not an ego trip into the world of men in uniform; rather, its intentions are to consider management concepts applied in running a particular troop formation known as reconnaissance troopers.

Military intelligence is of outmost importance to any commander. Every operation in the armed forces is preceded by a carefully planned intelligence gathering process. The men trained for such covert reconnaissance operations are specialists in their own right and are known collectively as reconnaissance troopers in the Singapore Armed Forces. At the regimental level, reconnaissance troopers are commonly known as "infantry scouts" and our study focuses on the scout (Recon) platoon from the 3rd Singapore Infantry Regiment (3 SIR).

Organization and Hierarchy

As with any military organization, the scout platoon of 3SIR was highly structured and hierarchical. At the highest level, the platoon was under the direct orders of the battalion Intelligence Officer (S2), who heads the battalion's Intelligence Branch (S2 Branch).

The scout platoon was basically divided into 3 sections, which in turn was subdivided into 6 teams of 5 men each and a platoon HQ. The platoon HQ consists of the Platoon Commander (PC), the Platoon Sergeant, and the platoon runner:



Each scout team consists of the following specialists:

· Team Commander

· Deputy Commander

· Signaler

· SAW* gunner

· Driver


*SAW= Section Automatic Weapon, the Ultimax 100 light machine gun


In addition, "micro-units" of two men each could be found within each team. For instance, during a mission, the Team Commander could work with the SAW gunner while the deputy commander conducts surveillance work with the signaler. Team drivers were assigned to the various infantry companies in 3SIR for use in patrolling missions.

Rank Structure

The Armed Forces is distinguished from other organizations by its clear-cut hierarchical rank structure. The following shows the rank structure of the scout platoon:


· Platoon Commander-- Lieutenant/ 2nd Lieutenant


· Platoon Sergeant -- 1st Sergeant/ 2nd Sergeant


· Platoon Runner-- Corporal


· Team Commander-- 3rd Sergeant


· Reconnaissance Trooper-- Corporal; the reconnaissance platoon is the only platoon in any regiment consisting of men that are either 3rd Sergeants or Corporals.*


*This however, does not mean that the degree of authority is highly formal within the scout teams. See account on internal relationships.



Tasks-- A Typical Day at Work

Unlike the other infantry rifle-platoons, reconnaissance platoons are not trained to engage the enemy. The primary function of the platoon is intelligence gathering, and this primary objective has to be met on time as required by higher commanders in the battalion. In addition to basic reconnaissance and survelliance activities, scout teams are expected from time to time to act as forward observersfor artillery units, and to marshal helicopters to landing sites either for troop insertion or medical evacuation.

In 3SIR, each scout section specializes in a secondary function; Section 1 specializes in water-crossing and amphibious-landing operations, Section 2 in heli-ops (helicopter operations, e.g. heliborne troop insertions, evacuations) and Section 3 is the specialist section in tracking and mountaineering (rappelling) operations. An interesting note, however, is that the various sections are cross-trained in every operation possible.

Cross-training entails that all the members of the platoon (regardless of rank) are trained not only in the primary operations of his team or section, but secondary functions of other sections as well. This cross-training process was the brainchild of 3 SIR's Intelligence Officer (S2). On days when the battalion does not conduct military exercises, you would see sections in the scout platoon engaged in a mutual learning and reinforcement process of the various operational drills. This ensures that everyone in the platoon is familiar with the standard operational procedures (SOPs). As such, in the event that one section is unable to carry out its specialised operations, another section could take over the task.

Further, each member of a scout team performs a specialised task for that particular team:

The team commander is the team manager and is basically in charge of planning for the team. It is his responsibility to ensure his team is able to carry out its mission and to interpret whatever intelligence gathered for a summarized but detailed report to his superior officers.

The deputy commander's chief responsiblity is to take charge of logistics matters. He is the one who figures out how much ration is to be "tagged" for each mission, what additional equipment are to be brought etc. Also, he is likely to be the team medic; because of the covert nature of their operations, scout teams do not have the logistical and medical support of the average infantry rifle-platoon.

The team signaler's main task is to maintain communications with the battalion's Intelligence Branch at all times. Communication is vital in any covert operation, and the signaler could be considered the one man in the team with the heaviest responsibility. As if lugging the heavy signal set isn't exhaustive enough, the signaler has to encode all transmissions to reduce the risk of tapped communications lines.

The SAW (section automatic weapon) gunner , or light machine-gunner, is likely to be the biggest guy in the team. His main task is that of security/utility man for the team. Armed with the Ultimax 100 light machine gun, he is the one who provides the firepower needed to cover his team in combat while the rest of them take up firing positions or carry out retrogade drills. As utility man, he carries all the heavy stuff: optical equipment, extra rations, anti-personnel mines etc.

Scout teams are highly mobile units, and part of that mobility comes from vehicles. The driver of the team taxies them to their drop-off points a distance away from the enemy objective and from which the team goes on foot to the actual objective itself. In each scout section, one of the two drivers has a signal set mounted on his vehicle that is used to "rebro" transmissions to the Intelligence Branch in case any team is unable to do so due to its distance or radio-jamming by the enemy. In 3SIR, scout drivers are also assigned to rifle-companies in the battalion for patrolling missions as every scout jeep carries a general purpose machine gun (GPMG).

As mentioned earlier, scout-teams are cross-trained for all possible operations. Cross-training does not occur only between teams; it is also done within teams. Every member of a scout team has to be proficient not only his primary and secondary tasks in the team's SOPs, but also those of his team-mates' as well. This means that a driver could easily take over the task as team signaler or team medic and still be able to complete the task comfortably.



Securing a danger area during an amphibious operation

Incentives/ Payoffs

What motivates the men of Recon Platoon, 3 SIR to do the things they do? How do they keep going when subjected to long hours of work stress?

Being enlisted personnel in the SAF, the scouts of Recon Platoon, 3 SIR are given token allowances for national service. The average reconnaissance trooper earns slightly more than the infantry rifle-man, given that they are specialised troopers and hold at least the rank of corporal. Nevertheless, the men do not generally consider the national service allowance given incentive enough to motivate them in work.One trooper gives his comments:

It's not as though it's a lot of money; I could easily spend one month's NS pay in one night pubbing along Boat Quay...

Well, if money's not a big motivator, what is?

The reconnaissance platoon is generally regarded as an elite platoon by both officers and men in 3 SIR. Membership to this elite sub-unit in the regiment does not come easy -- potential reconnaissance troopers are subjected to ardous screening processes to even qualify for the basic Infantry Reconnaissance Troopers Course at the School of Military Intelligence (SMI). This "exclusive membership" results in swelled egos: the men of Recon Platoon 3 SIR mark themselves off as the true specialists in the regiment and regard themselves second to none.

Being the "elite" of the battalion requires the troopers to prove themselves from time to time that they are indeed fitter and better able to do their jobs compared to the average infantry trooper. In military exercises, the men from Recon. Platoon, 3SIR proved themselves to be proficient in their tasks, being able to provide information to an accuracy of close to 90-95% based on evaluation standards set by the Army Training Evaluation Centre (ATEC). In sports and physical fitness tests, the scouts proved once again that they are a team to be reckoned with-- almost all of them received the Gold Award in the SAF's physical fitness tests, the rest receiving the Silver Award. Even in friendly matches in soccer, and rugby against the other rifle platoons in the battalion, the scouts were able to out-perform their opponents; the platoon was beaten only in basketball, a sport which not many of them played.

Good records in training exercises and sports led the men from the scout platoon to believe that they were truly "one up" above the rest of the rifle platoons. These results ,in turn, serve as motivators leading to desires to better performances as many of the scouts feel they have a reputation to uphold.

An unwritten code of conduct also exists in the scout platoon: being part of the platoon doesn't necessarily mean you are automatically accepted by your peers in the platoon; your position and place in the platoon has to be earned:

Making it into the [scout] platoon isn't easy-- keeping your place is even harder. You are constantly
being evaluated, not only by the other officers and men from the other platoons, but also by your own
platoon mates...
[ Team Signaler, Recon Team 5 ]


Furthermore, the platoon believes in sharing both rewards and punishments. As the Team Commander of Recon Team 2 puts it:

...Either you do well and everyone gets a break, or you screw up and we all get ****** together.

The men of Recon Platoon, 3SIR are, if anything, very proud young men (some might call them egomaniacs) and they generally feel that an individual has to earn his place in the platoon by proving his abilities as both a trooper and a team member. The platoon basically functions like the machine shop and shop floor described by Roy and Burawoy: each
[ trooper ] attempts to achieve a certain level of "production" that earns an incentive "pay"-- pay here pertaining more to informal rewards than cash incentives.These informal rewards range from getting to go on leave and off-passes to the more psychological incentives like gaining the respect and recognition of your fellow platoon-mates.

For any national serviceman, taking time off or going on leave is a BIG incentive to working harder. Any commander could tell you quite frankly that the slightest hint of having a couple of days away from camp is enough to get any soldier "working his butt off". Even if you don't get a full day off, having a "nights-off" with a couple of friends in town is equally a good motivator.

In addition to incentives, a system of punishment also exists as a disincentive to lower levels of "production". Punishment in the Armed Forces can range from lectures by higher commanders to the much-dreaded "extras"--extra guard or ordinace duties. Within the platoon itself, an informal system of punishments exist. More of this would be discussed under internal relationships.



Management and Evaluation

In this section, we examine the way the scout platoon is managed and whether the management style used could be improved upon.

|| Evaluation of Management style ||



Management

We can imagine Recon Platoon 3SIR to be a privately-own enterprise. At the regimental level, the Commanding Officer (CO) of 3SIR is the equivalent of the CEO. The regiment contains many different branches of operations, the 4 highest commands being the Manpower Branch (S1 Branch), the Intelligence Branch (S2 Branch), the Operations, or OPs Branch (S3 Branch) and the Logistics Branch (S4 Branch). The other rifle companies and the support lines make up the remainder of the battalion.

The scout platoon falls under the direct authority of the S2 Branch. The Intelligence Officer (S2), the officer in charge of the branch, can thus be considered the General Manager of the platoon. The core operations of the platoon are planned by the S2 and all reconnaissance activities carried out by the platoon is directed relayed back to the S2 Branch. The scout teams are therefore in constant contact with the S2 Branch during the entire course of their operations.

At the level of intermediate management, we have seen under the organization and hierarchy of the platoon that the a Platoon Commander (PC) and Platoon Sergeant (PS) are the primary persons in charge.

Although the operations of the platoon are planned by the S2, the PC is the one who gives the final briefing of any operation and disseminates all known information to the various scout team commanders. The PC also highlights the S2 to any potential problems faced by the teams in the process of carrying out their tasks. As such, the PC functions like a middle-man, the important link between the S2 Branch and the entire scout platoon. The Platoon Sergeant assists the PC and his main concern is with the logistics of any operation. In the event that the PC is unable to carry out his tasks (i.e. he got killed in action), the PS assumes the role of Platoon Commander.

The core organization of the platoon lies in formal groups or teams. Essentially, the platoon is broken up into teams, and this is where the scout platoon differs from any other platoon in the regiment: all operation processes are carried out in team levels, and the running of the platoon actually evolves around the management of teams. Although the higher commanders of the platoon (e.g. the PC or even the S2) hold direct authority over the 6 scout teams, every team in the platoon is an autonomous unit. Having said that, the commanders that matter most are actually the team commanders. The team commanders are the ones who makes decisions on the ground, as is required by exisiting conditions (e.g. terrain, enemy patrols etc).

Team work and culture are thus integral parts of the platoon's organization. In fact, a large part of the Reconnnaissance Troopers' Course conducted at SMI focuses on the ability of the teams to "gel" effectively and to function efficiently as a cohesive unit. Because of the autonomous nature of the teams, it can be said that each scout team can still function relatively well even without the supervision of the higher commanders. In fact, it is possible for a scout team to obtain its orders from the CO of the regiment himself and carry out the tasks required of the team. This autonomous nature of the teams also means that the team commanders, or even the average recon troopers in the platoon, enjoy a relatively higher authority in terms of rank compared to their counterparts in the rifle platoons.



Evaluation on Management

The nature of organization and management of the scout platoon very much meets the needs of its key and secondary functions. There is effective division of labour as the operations of a 33-man platoon is spread among 6 specialized teams. Within each team, there exists a further division of labour. This results in what I call a "division in the division of labour" : specialist teams of specialists executing precise tasks in already specialized operational processes. Each specialist in the team has a specific task to perform, and the success of the team depends on each member of the team being able to carry out his tasks effectively and effieciently. The success of the platoon as a whole in turn, depends on the overall success of each individual team. This means that cohesion is of exteme importance for the platoon to function effectively.

Yet, the main advantage of the team, this "division in the division of labour" is also its main weakness. Having specialists to perform specific tasks is a highly specialised division of labour, but it also means that a breakdown in team operations is possible in the event that any one team member is out of action. Recon Platoon 3SIR got round this problem by having each team and every member of a team "crossed-trained" in all aspects of operations so that there is no break in the operation process when any one member should be absent in the team.

The autonomous nature of the teams allows each team to have a lot of leeway in the way tasks are carried out. This is important as each team should be allowed make decisions "on the spot" when conducting covert operations. Some of this decisions may be contrary to the instructions of the higher commanders but extremely vital to ensure both the survival and the success of the teams.

This autonomous nature, however, can be taken advantage of and provide an avenue of resistance to the authority of higher commanders. Sometimes, such resistance can be taken to be outright insubordination. This is further discussed in the section below on Control of Management and Internal Relationships.

In an operational scenerio, stealth and mobility are key factors to the success of the scout teams. A small team is able to move faster as a coherent unit, and having less men reduces the chance of being spotted or tracked by the enemy both on land or by arial reconnaissance. When closing up on an enemy objective for reconnaissance activities, the a "micro-unit" comprising of two men from a team maintains the degree of stealth and mobility for covert operations while allowing both men to "cover" each other for security.




.




The downside of having small team in a combat situation is that smaller units have a limited chance to overcome an enemy assault. Scout teams lack firepower and the "arc of fire"-- the area each man can cover and fire into-- is limited and considerably narrower. In fact, statistics from armed forces around the world show that reconnaissance units, once compromised, stand very little chance of survival in combat. The best solution, thus, is to avoid contact with the enemy, and to get one's job done efficiently in the shortest time possible-- the longer you remain in hostile territory, the higher your chances of being compromised.

Despite the minor "setbacks" to the management style of the platoon, this form of organizing the platoon into teams probably ensures the efficiency and effectiveness of this intelligence gathering unit for a simple reason: covert operations are difficult to plan, implement and monitor in large groups.

Control of Management and Internal Relationships

In this section, we will discuss about the control of management (higher authority) over the scout platoon and the internal relationships that exist in the platoon itself. Here, we begin to see sources of conflict in a seemingly coherent platoon.

As mentioned under the section on management, the scout platoon in 3 SIR is answerable only to one higher authority-- that of the Intelligence Officer (S2). All other commanders in the regiment do not have direct authority over the platoon; however, as rank heirarchies are strictly adhered to in the Armed Forces, any scout trooper caught disrespecting an officer or senior Specialist is severely dealt with.

Nevertheless, "Outsiders", as the other officers (with the exception of the Commanding Officer of the regiment) and specialists are often refered to, are generally treated with "superficial" respect to their rank and authority. What this means is that the men, like the workers described by Roy's and Burawoy's accounts, found ways and means to resist the "expropriation of [their] skills and...labour" as well as the "usurpation" of the platoon's authority over the their work processes by these "Outsiders".

For instance, on one occasion a 2nd Lieutenant from Alpha Company was assigned to follow Recon Team 5 to a forward position for artillery ranging on an objective. The scouts from Team 5 resented to having an "Outsider" officer following them on their mission and wanted to find a way to get back at the officer. This same officer happened to be a little on the plump side and had a reputation of "falling out" from combat exercises. The Team Commander of Team 5 was aware of this and together with his team deliberately chose a longer and harder route to the forward position. And as if this wasn't enough, the team set off on a forced march to their position. Sure enough, the officer was unable to keep up and had to call in sick for the rest of the mission. Team 5 carried on without the "Outsider", having left him by the side of a track for the medical team to pick him up.

On field exercises like the one described above the scouts were able to get away with such subtle acts of insubordination because of the nature of their operational and task requirements. In the view of the higher commanders, the only thing that mattered was getting intelligence reports on time and as long as the scout teams were able to meet their requirements on time and provide at least 90% of the data required, no one was going to bother much with their little shows of defiance.Internal Relationships

Recon Platoon, 3SIR was basically a united platoon. These men had from the time of their selection to passing the SMI course, been in regular contact with one another and through the number of training exercises gelled into an efficient unit. This was a platoon which believed in sharing rewards and punishments, whether you were a commander or a driver, and this was a platoon which was proud of who they were.

Yet, within this seemingly coherent entity, rivalry and disagreements prevail-- not only between teams, but within teams at times as well. Cliques existed and the one or two "loafers" in the platoon were ostracized.

Rivalry and competition are two things that the troopers got used to early on. From the time these men had to prove themselves in the selection process, one of the first things a trooper learnt was that this was a platoon in which the fittest prevail. Lugging heavy loads on missions was only half the story--often, teams had to force march to their objectives to ensure they get in position for their reconnaissance and surveillance activities. Margins for error were narrow, and carelessness was something that was frowned upon:

Carelessness leads to compromises...which in turn lead to the failure to execute a mission.

Thus, recognition and respect do not come easy for the average trooper in the platoon. As one trooper puts it:

One thing about the guys is that success is often easily forgotten, but failures are often marked and remembered.

Because of the degree of autonomy given to the scout teams in getting things done, disagreements are common in planning and logistical matters, even within particular teams. Sometimes, a Team Commander may decide on a route to the designated objective while his deputy commander may argue for another; at other times, arguments are over mundane matters like whose turn it is to clean the equipment or vehicles.

Arguments and rivalry aside, cliques exist in the platoon. Say there are some guys who are crazy about soccer in the platoon. Invariably, there will be others keen on basketball or rugby and come recreational time, the various cliques get into disagreements on what games to play. Of course, the easy way out is for the Platoon Commander or Platoon Sergeant to decide, but this does not guarantee the match would be smooth-sailing. Cliques also hang out together on "nights-off", with one group heading off for town to catch a show and some others perhaps going for a game of pool elsewhere.

Generally, it has been observed that relationships are closest within teams, and it is highly probable that a particular clique would comprise of guys coming from the same Recon Team. Teams 1,2,4 and 5, for instance, are perfect examples showing this trend. Cliques can also comprise of mostly of guys coming from the same team with additions from a couple of "stray sheep" from other teams. Teams 3 and 6 would fall under this particular typology.




Type 1: A clique consisting of all members in the same team



Type 2: cliques that include members from other teams


There are also a couple of "outcasts" in the platoon, men generally considered "loafers" and "free-riders" who more often than not are ostracized by the rest of the platoon for not contributing to the platoon's "productive pool". One particular "outcast" was particulaly disliked for being both a "loafer" and a "snoop"--someone who informs a higher rank (often an "Outsider") of the platoon's misdeeds. Because he was so unpopular, none of the cliques wanted him "in"--not even his team-mates, who felt they were better off without him--and he had to resort to hanging out with the "Outsiders".

One interesting caveat: members of a clique or team could become "temporary outcasts" if their performance was not up to the platoon's expectations or if by some misdeed caused their teams to fail in a mission or exercise. Generally, these men would be subject to rebuke, even ridicule by the others for a while until the next training exercise when he would be given a chance to "redeem" himself. The other way to "redeem" oneself was by "bribing" the others: treating each and everyone to a couple of drinks either at the Specialists' Mess or at one of the pubs around town.





Conclusion

There is an increasing trend of "downsizing" in many armed forces around the world. New ideas in military strategies suggest that the wars of tomorrow will be fought in isolated "pockets" rather than a total war. Strategic troops and mobile military units play a more important role: in future armed confrontations, battles will be won by better-trained units and technology-- numbers will no longer play a major role.

As such, we could expect the Singapore Armed Forces to follow along these lines and see leaner and well-trained units. Perhaps one day, all units in an infantry regiment would be organised into efficient, highly mobile fighting teams. The SAF has not been in an actual combat situation, but the men who trained to defend their country are still a force to be reckoned with. The men of 3SIR (Mono Intake '96/97) proved their mettle in combat readiness when they won the SAF's Best Combat Unit and Best Infantry Unit awards in 1997. For the men of Recon Platoon 3SIR, knowing that they played a significant role in winning the double honours provided them a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment.

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