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SINGAPORE: The Singapore Army announced on Wednesday morning (Sept 25) that the 12 servicemen injured during an exercise yesterday in Australia have since received medical care and rejoined the unit.

“Following the sharing of the incident, with emphasis on the need to maintain the safety distance, especially when driving in poor visibility, training has resumed,” the Singapore Army said in a Facebook post.

The public was informed of the incident when the Ministry of Defence issued a statement at 10:15 on Tuesday night (Sept 24).

MINDEF said that a Hunter Armoured Fighting Vehicle had rear-ended another while returning to base at Shoalwater Bay Training Area in Queensland, Australia.

This occurred at approximately 7:40 pm Australia time, two hours ahead of Singapore.

The ministry added that 12 SAF servicemen had sustained non-serious injuries and were transported to the hospital. “They are currently being treated or recovering well. The safety and well-being of our people is of paramount importance.

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The Army has called for a safety pause to remind drivers to maintain proper distance. MINDEF/SAF wish the servicemen a speedy recovery,” it added.

Following the mishap, the Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS) said paramedics were called to Rockhampton Airport around 8:30 pm local time. Later, 11 of the injured servicemen were brought via helicopter to the Rockhampton Hospital for treatment.

“One person with more serious injuries was flown directly to Rockhampton Hospital by military helicopter,” a QAS spokesperson said. However, this person appears to have returned to his unit as well, according to the latest Singapore Army statement.

The hospital confirmed that the injured had all been discharged by Wednesday.

The servicemen are among the thousands of Singaporean soldiers in Queensland for the annual drill known as Exercise Wallaby, where they are driving tanks, flying helicopters, and operating new high-tech machinery.

The Straits Times reported on Sept 22 (Sunday) that this is the AF’s biggest unilateral overseas exercise to date. It involves 6,200 personnel, 490 vehicles, and other machinery.

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The Singapore Army and Air Force have trained at Shoalwater Bay since 1990. This year, they began on Sept 8 and will continue for eight weeks until Nov 3, the SAF’s longest training yet.

A spokesman for the Australian Defence Forces (ADF) said that none of its personnel or vehicles were involved in the incident, reported Australia’s ABC News.

Netizens commenting on the army’s statement have expressed relief that none of the servicemen suffered serious injuries. They said they were glad to hear the men were back in their unit. /TISG