An inside look at a new camp for Singapore Armed Forces troops, in expanded Australian training ground

SHOALWATER BAY, Queensland: A new camp has been set up for Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) troops in an expanded training area in Australia. 
Known as Camp Tilpal, it can accommodate 2,000 people, up from the 1,000 at existing nearby camps such as Camp Growl at the Shoalwater Bay Training Area in Queensland.
Besides the SAF, the camp can also be used by the Australian Defence Force (ADF) and other troops invited by the Australian military. 
The camp has already housed troops who participated in this year’s Exercise Wallaby – SAF’s largest overseas exercise. 
The final phase of Wallaby, Exercise Trident, is a bilateral military exercise between Singapore and Australia conducted between Nov 6 and 15. 
Following the expansion, the Shoalwater Bay Training Area is now five times the size of Singapore.
At a ceremony on Wednesday (Nov 13) to commemorate the completed expansion, Singapore’s Senior Minister of State for Defence Heng Chee How said this was “yet another historic milestone” for both Singapore and Australia’s defence establishments.
“It is a tangible symbol of the abiding trust between us, and elevates the bilateral defence relationship as we look forward to commemorating the 60th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic relations next year,” he added.
Lieutenant Colonel Benjamin Tan and his team of 160 men were among the first troops to make use of the new Camp Tilpal.
LTC Tan, who is commander of the Forward Support Group for this year’s Exercise Wallaby, said his team started “without any templates” and had set the camp up from “ground zero”. 
“That is really a very rewarding part of the journey, to see all of the plans that we have pored over these many months come to fruition, and to see the troops well supported,” he said. 
CNA, along with other news agencies, were given the chance to tour and spend a night at Camp Tilpal, which is about 40 ha large.
Unlike other camps, the maintenance facility here is sheltered, allowing for activities to continue in adverse weather conditions. 
Workshop second-in-command Military Expert 3 Dialjeet Singh said working under the sun during the day or in the cold at night “slows down” productivity and can be draining.
Having a proper shelter helps his team churn out vehicles faster to support training units, he added. 
As for the medical centre at Camp Tilpal, it is three to four times bigger than other spaces military doctors previously worked in. 
It’s specially equipped to manage potential heat injuries, with the likes of cold immersion devices. 
There’s also telemedicine access to medical expertise at full-fledged hospitals, which allows for rapid diagnosis and treatment during emergencies. 
Meanwhile, Camp Tilpal’s ventilated dining hall can seat 1,000 personnel at any one sitting. There are also two kitchen areas to cater to different food preparation requirements.
Reporters were then brought to a bunk for troops to rest. Each of these can “quite comfortably” accommodate about 40 people and all of their equipment, said LTC Tan.
The beds in the bunk, lined up at two sides, were really propped-up sleeping bags.
At first glance, it did not look the most comfortable to sit, let alone sleep on. It did take a couple of minutes of getting used to, but the overall experience wasn’t unpleasant.
We later ate the same meals as the soldiers, including the famous “Wallaby nasi lemak”.
It all made for a unique experience at the newly set-up Camp Tilpal , topped off with a spectacular sunset view of the grounds.