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When flash floods struck along the Nepal-China border, Singapore deployed a 35-member contingent to Nepal to support disaster relief efforts. From 1 to 18 September 2026, 31 officers from the Singapore Police Force (SPF), together with two officers from the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) and two from the Home Team Science and Technology Agency (HTX), served as part of Operation Vanguard.
Deployed at the request of the Nepali authorities, the contingent supported relief efforts through specialist capabilities in Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) and aerial reconnaissance.
Behind the operation were officers contributing in different ways. Among them were Public Affairs Department Media Relations Officer (MRO) Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Mohammad Tajuddin, who documented the mission on the ground in Nepal, and Operations Planning Officer Inspector (Insp) Teo Yan Qing, who coordinated the operation’s administrative and planning needs from Singapore.
Through a Different Lens
For ASP Tajuddin, Operation Vanguard was a mission of many firsts – his first overseas deployment and his first time witnessing the impact of a disaster on such a scale.
As an MRO, ASP Tajuddin was accustomed to working behind the camera. In Nepal, he was responsible for documenting the contingent’s work through photographs and videos, facilitating media features and photo opportunities, managing media queries and providing updates to the team in Singapore.
With the situation constantly evolving, each day brought different demands. Mornings began with a briefing by the Contingent Commander, after which he and his colleague divided their assignments, travelling to different locations to document the work of the various sub-teams.
On a few occasions, ASP Tajuddin was assigned to document the work of the DVI team. Stepping into the mortuary for the first time in Nepal, he was immediately struck by the strong smell of decomposition – something he had never encountered before. The sight of bodies and remains made him realise the difficult conditions the DVI officers were working in.
During his first few visits, the DVI officers patiently guided him through their processes, helping him understand the work they were carrying out and navigate an environment that was entirely new to him.
There had been initial concerns over whether fingerprints could be successfully lifted given the condition of the bodies. When the DVI officers succeeded, their expertise impressed the local authorities and left a lasting impression on ASP Tajuddin.
“Witnessing their work first-hand made me appreciate the level of professionalism and dedication of our officers even more,” he said.
Being deployed overseas also meant leaving his family behind. As a father of two young children, 16 days away from home wasn’t easy. But his family’s support gave him the assurance to concentrate on the mission.
“Knowing that things were taken care of back home allowed me to focus fully on my responsibilities in Nepal,” he said.
His supervisors also checked in on his well-being regularly, providing guidance and reassurance throughout his first deployment.
Keeping Things Moving from Singapore
While the contingent carried out its mission in Nepal, Inspector (Insp) Teo Yan Qing was among those supporting the operation from Singapore.
As part of the Contingency Planning Division under the Operations Department, she coordinated operational and administrative matters, liaised with SPF units and external stakeholders, supported budgetary matters and followed up on requirements arising from the operation.
Once Operation Vanguard was activated, the pace of work intensified. Plans had to be adjusted as the situation evolved, and some requests required immediate attention. This came on top of her regular work and deadlines, requiring her to devote additional personal and family time to keep both workstreams on track.
Much of what Insp Teo handled day to day – tracking administrative matters, coordinating with stakeholders and ensuring information reached the relevant units promptly – could easily go unnoticed. But these tasks served a larger purpose.
“Such tasks may seem routine or even appear invisible but carrying them out consistently reduces uncertainties and operational risks and allowed the team in Nepal to focus on higher-priority matters,” she said.
One moment brought that purpose into sharper focus.
Midway through the operation, a video conference was arranged between senior management from the SPF, HTX and HSA and the officers deployed in Nepal. The call provided an opportunity to check on the officers’ well-being and understand the situation they were facing on the ground.
Hearing directly from the contingent gave Insp Teo a closer sense of what was happening in Nepal – and greater meaning to the work she and her colleagues had been doing in Singapore. “Every request that we handled from Singapore represented the challenge faced by our officers overseas,” she said.
Bringing Everyone Together
After several intense weeks supporting the operation, Insp Teo was given another task – to organise a reception to recognise the contributions of deployed officers, planning staff from supporting SPF units and working partners who supported the mission from Singapore.
With confirmation that the deployed contingent would soon be returning to Singapore, Insp Teo and her colleagues had just 10 days to put the reception together, working through details from the venue, invitations and programme to catering, music and event setup.
The reception was held at HomeTeamNS Bedok Reservoir on 26 September 2026, attended by Guest-of-Honour Mr Edwin Tong, Minister for Law and Second Minister for Home Affairs.
Seeing the officers safely home and reunited with their families gave Insp Teo a “quiet sense of warmth and relief.”
“It showed the human side of the operation and reminded me that behind every deployment, there are many people who had made sacrifices for service towards a bigger purpose,” she said.
Two Sides, One Mission
At the start of Operation Vanguard, Insp Teo had seen her contribution as relatively small. Looking back, she could see how it had formed part of something much larger.
“I’m proud to be one of the many pieces that came together to complete the larger picture in the puzzle of teamwork and success,” she said.
ASP Tajuddin returned from Nepal with a similar reflection. “Beyond the work, I learnt that trust, teamwork and human connection are just as important in a challenging operation,” he said.
One deployed to Nepal; the other remained in Singapore. Their responsibilities were different, but each played a significant part in Operation Vanguard. Their stories reflect the collective effort behind every mission – from officers on the ground to the colleagues and families supporting them from home.
Wherever duty takes our officers, it’s this shared commitment to one another and to the mission that enables the SPF to serve with purpose, together as one Force.
