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SINGAPORE: A minister arrives at an event when armed men open fire. The minister’s personal security officer (PSO) quickly protects him and pushes him towards his car, ducking as they go.
From the rear, two unmarked black sport utility vehicles light their sirens and move forward, forming a barrier between the gunmen and the minister. In the vehicles are officers from the Singapore Police Force (SPF) Counterattack Unit (CAU), equipped with full tactical gear and armed with assault rifles.
They open the door for cover and return fire, allowing the minister’s car to move safely. They don’t stop until the gunmen are dead.
This hypothetical scenario might as well be straight out of an action movie, but it is exactly what CAU officers train for.
The CAU is deployed during major events in Singapore and abroad to protect local and foreign IPVs, or very, very important people. CAU officers can double as elite PSOs, but they are trained to do more than protect VVIPs and get them to safety.
CAU officers go on the offensive to neutralize the threat and are adept at creating a safe route for evacuation, including breaking down doors and cleanup rooms. Unlike PSOs, CAU officers are dispatched to specific events and are not tagged in a single VVIP.
The CAU was deployed during the Trump-Kim Summit in 2018, at National Day Parades and during the recent opening of Parliament on August 24. The unit was formed in 2006 following the September 11 attacks and a series of terrorist incidents that followed around the world.
On Friday (August 28), reporters were given a rare look at officers and unit equipment, which can weigh up to 20kg and include shields and door violators. The names of the officers and the details of their operations are classified.
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“They are trained to take a bullet from VVIPs,” said CAU’s commanding officer, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Bros Leong.
“We are looking for teamwork, professionalism and, last but not least, discipline.”
CAU officers look through their rifle scopes with both eyes open to maintain optimal situational awareness. (Photo: Hanidah Amin)
On August 20, five of the eight apprentices graduated from CAU’s eighth main course, including its first female officer. The grueling three-month course teaches tactical firearms, hand-to-hand battles like room cleaning, as well as entry methods like breaking locks.
Trainees also go through scenario-based missions, which may involve teaming up to take down a threat played by a fellow trainee.
RIGOROUS TRAINING
The CAU conducts a selection once every two years, and it is only open to officers of the Police Security Command, to which the OSPs belong.
Training ranges from hauling heavy loads like logs and hoses to shooting in outdoor fields or from a moving car. Students who cannot work as a team or break down enough doors in several minutes are at risk of failure.
CAU officers are experts in different methods of entry, such as breaking doors. (Photo: Hanidah Amin)
“You must have the discipline to come to train and even more individual discipline. When they are free, we hope they do their own physical training, ”said ASP Leong.
“So you have professionalism. Because we work with foreign dignitaries, when we are deployed we are the so-called representatives of Singapore. So it’s kind of pride, (be) how you stand. The way they behave will affect Singapore. “
CAU officers are trained in hand-to-hand battles such as cleaning rooms. (Photo: Hanidah Amin)
With such high standards expected, it is not surprising that ASP Leong described the CAU as a “small and dedicated” team, fewer in number than the OSPs.
“Although the selection and training for CAU is a physical and mental challenge, we are proud to witness the graduation of the first female officer,” he added, calling it a “significant milestone” for the unit.
FIRST OFFICER
Newly created CAU Officer Sergeant (SGT) Anna (not her real name) grew up playing first person shooter games with an interest in tactical moves. One day, police officers visited her home after her mother reported that a suspicious person was loitering.
“I saw them in uniform and I was very inspired so I decided to join the police force,” said the 28-year-old.
Sergeant Anna (right) is the first woman to approve of CAU’s grueling entrée. (Photo: Hanidah Amin)
SGT Anna entered the force four years ago before joining the Security Command two years later. Then she found out about CAU.
“I was very interested in joining,” she added. “When I was younger, I used to play first person shooter games. Now I can do it in reality. “
READ: In pictures: How the elite Special Operations Command trains to deal with threats
SGT Anna said she was unafraid of the demands of the course and was “highly motivated” to graduate with her male counterparts, describing them as brothers.
“We went through everything together,” he said. “We always cheer each other on and never give up. Whenever one of us had a problem with something, we always helped each other. “
A CAU officer clears a room and shoots the targets inside. (Photo: Hanidah Amin)
ASP Leong said he was impressed by SGT Anna and the effort she put in, adding that she never complained and continued to cheer on her teammates, even as she ran with the heaviest weapons and extra ammunition that CAU officers have to carry. .
SGT Anna said it is an honor to be the first woman to pass the course, noting that she did the same training and held to the same standards as everyone else.
“There were no exceptions for me,” he said.
CAU officers can deploy in black sport utility vehicles or motorcycles. (Photo: Hanidah Amin)
READ: ‘They treat us as equals’: Official women in SPF
But perhaps a prouder moment was his first real-life display at the opening of Parliament earlier this week. SGT Anna called it a privilege and a “revelation”.
“I have to bring out a different set of equipment and weapons, and the responsibility is different,” he added. “I hope to motivate other aspiring female officers so that they too can join the unit as long as they believe in themselves.”
