Operation Lionheart: SCDF team deployed to quake-hit Myanmar returns after 11 days

Key Concepts:

• SCEDF (Singapore Civil Defence Force) team
• Operation Lion Heart
• Earthquake in Myanmar (7.7 on the Richter scale)
• Humanitarian aid and rescue operation
• National Servicemen (NSmen)
• Family reunion
• Burmese residents in Singapore
• Aftershocks and terrain challenges

Welcome Home for the SCEDF Team

• Over 500 people, including family members and about 100 Burmese residents in Singapore, gathered at Changi Airport's Terminal 3 to welcome the 80-member SCEDF team.
• The team had been deployed to Myanmar for 11 days as part of Operation Lion Heart, following a devastating earthquake measuring 7.7 on the Richter scale.
• The Burmese residents expressed deep gratitude to the Singapore government and the "lion hearts" for their support during the crisis, emphasizing the suffering in their home country due to the earthquake and political instability. One resident stated, "Singapore is the our second home so we are thank you to the Singapore government and the also the lion hearts we are very respect to the all the lion heart and the Singapore because now we are suffering the whole country suffering because of cool a lot of support already and then second you know attack for us so I very thankful for all your team because we you all support for us thank you very much for the officers."

Family Reunions and Personal Sacrifices

• The return marked emotional family reunions after 11 days of separation.
• Some officers had to leave young children behind, who now view their parents as heroes for their humanitarian work. One child expressed feeling "proud happy happy" of their parent's actions.
• The team included both regulars and national servicemen (NSmen), with over half being Muslims who spent Hari Raya away from their families for the first time.
• Family members expressed mixed feelings of sadness due to the absence and communication disruptions, but also pride and gratitude for the officer's safety and humanitarian efforts. One family member stated, "we felt very sad without having him for our uh am happy that he's actually there doing uh humanitarian work in Myanmar i mean sad but proud of what he's doing while he was absent yeah is a little bit uh somber because he's um abroad and initially um the network wasn't really good the communication is disrupted i feel um proud and happy that he's back but above all I feel um grateful for his safety."

Challenges and Impact of the Operation

• The team faced serious risks due to aftershocks, challenging terrain, and the condition of buildings in the affected areas.
• The 18-member team included the largest number of national servicemen (13) in Operation Lion Heart.
• Despite being back home, the team hopes that the aid, supplies, and support provided will continue to assist Myanmar in its recovery.
• The team's efforts were focused on facilitating Operation Lion Heart, indicating a support role in a larger rescue and relief effort.

Conclusion

The return of the SCEDF team from Operation Lion Heart was met with emotional reunions and gratitude from both family members and the Burmese community in Singapore. The team's deployment highlighted the sacrifices made by its members, particularly the NSmen, and the risks they faced in providing humanitarian aid in the aftermath of the earthquake in Myanmar. The hope is that their efforts will contribute to the country's long-term recovery.