Admiral John Christopher Aquilino receives the Meritorious Service Medal (Military) from Singapore for enhancing bilateral defense ties between the US and Singapore.
Admiral John Christopher Aquilino, the Commander of the United States Indo-Pacific Command (US INDOPACOM), was awarded Singapore’s prestigious Pingat Jasa Gemilang (Tentera), also known as the Meritorious Service Medal (Military) [MSM(M)], by President Tharman Shanmugaratnam. The ceremony took place at the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF), where Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen presented the award on the morning of March 6, 2024.
This accolade was bestowed upon Admiral Aquilino in recognition of his pivotal role in fortifying defense relations between the US INDOPACOM and the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) across multiple domains, including land, air, and sea, despite challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Under Admiral Aquilino’s guidance, the SAF and US INDOPACOM continued to engage and bolster their partnership through Singapore’s support for the US’ presence and ongoing military training and exercises. Additionally, their collaboration expanded into new areas, such as cyberspace, marked by the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding concerning Cooperation in Cyberspace between the SAF, US INDOPACOM, and US Cyber Command in August 2021.
Admiral Aquilino’s visit to Singapore, from March 6 to 10, 2024, included meetings with Dr Ng and the Chief of Defence Force Vice Admiral Aaron Beng, further emphasizing the strong military cooperation between the two nations.
Source – MINDEF
