Meet a pioneering member of SecCom’s elite Counter Assault Unit!
By: Irwan Shah
It takes something special to serve as a Counter Assault Unit (CAU) officer.
An elite arm of the Singapore Police Force’s (SPF) Police Security Command (SecCom), the CAU has high standards, with only two-thirds of trainees completing the gruelling three-month training course to become CAU operators.
In August 2020, Sergeant (Sgt) Anna (not her real name) became the first female officer to serve as a CAU operator. Here’s her story!
A Unique Role
The CAU was set up in 2006 to counter security threats at major events and help evacuate VVIPs during hostile situations. This is in addition to the CAU operators’ primary duties as Personal Security Officers (PSOs) with SecCom.
To become a full-fledged CAU operator, PSOs have to undergo a rigorous three-month Main Course that puts their physical and mental capabilities to the test. During the course, the PSOs undergo training in four areas – tactical firearms, close-quarter battle, methods of entry and scenario-based simulations.
“We train CAU trainees to operate at the highest possible level of proficiency,” explained Assistant Superintendent of Police Bros Leong, Commanding Officer of the CAU. “Trainees also learn to operate in covert gear in local and overseas situations. The training is designed to support the CAU in counter-assault operations, high-risk VVIP escorts and security deployments.”
A Childhood Dream
Only 60% of the trainees who went through the latest round of the CAU Main Course passed. One of them was Sgt Anna, the first female CAU operator.
Joining the SPF was Sgt Anna’s childhood dream. She vividly recalled an encounter with Police officers when they came to her home after her mother had reported a suspicious character loitering at their void deck. This episode impressed upon her that the Police are always there for those in need.
“When I was young, I also enjoyed playing first-person shooter games and working together as a team to overcome our adversary,” she recalled. “This inspired me to become an officer!"
In Full Gear
Sgt Anna joined the SPF in 2016 and was posted to SecCom in 2018, where she was deployed as a PSO at the Trump-Kim Summit. She signed up to become a CAU trainee without hesitation, though she knew that only male officers had previously completed the course.
The trainees underwent the same regime and were held to the same high standards. In training, CAU trainees don their full gear, which weighs almost 20kg. During simulation exercises, instructors also fire simulation rounds at trainees to train them to shield their principals when under attack.
Pushed to her limit, Sgt Anna was determined to prove that she could achieve anything that her male counterparts could. “It’s definitely an honour to become the first female officer to graduate from the CAU Main Course,” she shared. “I hope to inspire other officers to believe in themselves and join the CAU!”
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