70 years of the Johore Shield, the SPF’s premier showcase of pistol marksmanship excellence.
By: Mike Tan
When it comes to pistol marksmanship in the Singapore Police Force (SPF), look no further than the Johore Shield!
As the SPF’s premier showcase of pistol shooting skills, the Johore Shield precision pistol competition traces its roots to the abiding ties between the Force and our Malaysian counterparts. In the early 1950s, the Shield was presented by the Johore Police to the SPF in appreciation of the assistance that the Force had rendered during the communist insurgency.
Since 1953, the Johore Shield has served as the challenge trophy for the SPF’s inter-unit firearms competition, with officers from Police divisions and specialist units giving their best for top marksmanship honours. This year marked the Johore Shield’s return following a break from 2020 to 2022 due to COVID-19, and was warmly received by officers keen to display their skills.
Following an exciting elimination shoot-out in June, the field was whittled down from 22 units to 10: seven non-specialist units – Bedok Police Division, Clementi Police Division, Jurong Police Division, Tanglin Police Division, Police Headquarters, Protective Security Command and Training Command (TRACOM) – and three specialist units – the Gurkha Contingent, Police Coast Guard (PCG) and Police Security Command.
On 6 October, over 120 members of the SPF shooting community came together at the Home Team Academy to compete in the finals of the 2023 Johore Shield. Officers competed in a rigorous series of four “strings” (or shooting sequences), at distances ranging from five to 25 metres.
Inside the range, the competition proceeded briskly and with quiet purpose. Spirits were high as each detail gave its best, with the occasional “woah” of appreciation coming from the viewing gallery when the automated targets were returned and fellow officers could see the shot groupings – many incredibly tight.
After each shoot, the officers exited the range with their targets to have their scores tabulated. Not only were they competing for individual pride, they were also keen to do their best for unit honours.
As with previous editions of the Johore Shield, this year’s competition saw a mix of veteran and younger officers taking part. Among the seasoned shooters competing in 2023 was Senior Staff Sergeant (SSSgt) Sri Arnina Mohd Sudi, a member of the PCG shooting team that won the Johore Shield in 2016, 2017 and 2019. Now, she’s determined to help her fellow officers do their best. “It’s about using what I’ve learnt to lift the team,” shared SSSgt Arnina. “Our speed, skill, accuracy and stance – all of these add up to good marksmanship.”
SSSgt Arnina joined the SPF in 2009 and, in her current role as a PCG Crew Commander, leads her team on coastal patrols. “It’s an extraordinary job,” she said. “We face something different every day out on the water. It’s about doing our jobs well as a team, communicating clearly and taking care of one another out there!”
Another veteran shooter at this year’s Johore Shield was SSSgt Wan Mohammad Kamil Bin Mohd Naffis of TRACOM. Having joined the SPF in 2007, he was posted to Ang Mo Kio Police Division as a Ground Response Force officer. “I was also assigned to be an adjunct firearms instructor,” he recalled, “and I took this as an opportunity to really deepen my knowledge of the methodology and practice of shooting marksmanship.”
SSSgt Wan was one of the officers that, from 2009 to 2014, engaged in a remarkable demonstration of shooting skill by the land divisions. Over six years, Bedok and Ang Mo Kio Police Divisions took turns winning the Johore Shield, in a thrilling and good-spirited rivalry. “I told my fellow officers that our challenge was to become better each year, and up our game,” he recalled. “And we did.”
Having joined TRACOM in 2020, SSSgt Wan is now helping to raise firearms training and marksmanship standards across the SPF. These efforts were borne out by the final – and very close – results of this year’s competition. Once all the scores tallied, it was TRACOM that won the Johore Shield!
Congratulations to all the officers who gave their best on the 70th year of the Johore Shield, in the spirit of friendly competition. “That’s what I enjoy most about the Johore Shield,” said SSSgt Wan. “It allows many different units to come together, learn and grow. I’ve made a lot of friends in our community through the Johore Shield, and I hope that, moving forward, this will translate into raising our collective firearms standards.”
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