No mavericks here

    Teamwork is the key to soaring success of the air force's 140 Squadron, which took the Best Fighter Squadron award this year.

    This is the eighth time since 1985 that the team which operates F-16 fighter jets, has won the award.

    But before each jet screams into the skies, a lot of work has to be done, said Major David Wong, the squadron's commanding officer. For every pilot who takes to the skies, there are three ground crew members who slog to make sure that everything goes off without a hitch.

    "Unlike the pilots in Hollywood movies, there are no mavericks here," said Major Wong.

    "What we have instead are 160 people in the squadron who are totally committed to their work."

    And safety is an essential concern, he added.

    "Ours is an inherently dangerous job, but we have to strike a balance between safety and realism in training."

    "So, before we begin a mission, we conduct a review to try and identify all the risks involved.

    "The safety of our men comes before our machines."

(taken from The Straits Times, 26/6/99)