SINGAPORE – Washington Army National Guardsmen traveled to Mandai Hill, Singapore, this month to participate in exercise Tiger Balm 2025.
It was the 44th iteration of the bilateral exercise between the Singapore Army Forces (SAF) and the U.S. Army.
This year’s exercise was held May 5-16 and involved 823 personnel from the Singapore Army’s 6th Singapore Division and 76th Singapore Infantry Brigade, alongside 257 personnel from the Hawaii Army National Guard, the Washington Army National Guard and the 29th Infantry Brigade Combat Team.
“We participated as secretariat to the director of the exercise along with the Hawaii Army National Guard, higher command and exercise command in the maneuver and intelligence cell, information operations in the multi-domain operations cell and some key roles in the exercise support group managing life support and feeding,” said Maj. Shaun Neil, Washington Army National Guard worldwide engagements officer. “This was all in preparation for the Washington Army National Guard to assume the lead role in the exercise starting in fiscal year 2026.”
Guardsmen from the 144th Digital Liaison Detachment, 156th Information Operations Battalion and 205th Regimental Training Institute traveled to the southeast Asian nation to deepen relations with the partner forces and obtain critical exercise information from the Hawaii National Guard and SAF.
“Tiger Balm is a smaller exercise in size and echelon of units involved when compared to an exercise like Cobra Gold or Ulchi Freedom Shield that enables more control and participation across the board,” Neil said.
The focus of the training during Tiger Balm is the integration of urban operations conducted in Singapore’s advanced SAFTI City training facility. Both armies operate under a combined task force and receive significant air support from the Republic of Singapore Air Force. Beyond the realistic field training, the exercise incorporates command post operations to test combined brigade staffs’ decision-making processes and subject matter expert exchanges on counter-improvised explosive devices and chemical, biological and radiological defense operations.
“In larger exercises, it’s easy to lose sight of the big picture and only focus on your small piece of it. We have a lot more control and flexibility to make on the spot adjustments to better meet the training objectives,” Neil said.
Exercise Tiger Balm has become a cornerstone of the deep and strategic partnership between the U.S. and Singapore. The exercise helps enhance interoperability, foster professional ties and adapt training with new urban combat missions and unmanned technologies to address contemporary threats in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific.
“Future iterations of Tiger Balm will hopefully expand on the role of multi-domain operations closing the gap between intelligence and precision fires. Additionally, more emphasis needs to be put into non-kinetic warfare and information dominance,” Neil said. "Singapore is a country that pushes the boundaries in innovation in all areas and is ever present in their military. Participating in this exercise will be mutually beneficial for both the Singaporean Armed Forces and the Washington Army National Guard in building readiness, lethality and cohesion.”