The SAF was established some forty years ago to meet Singapore's immediate security needs, having acquired nationhood in the most unexpected fashion. Since then, the SAF has matured to become the cornerstone of Singapore's defence policy; as a form of deterrence, providing the political space for the exercise of diplomacy to ensure that Singaporeans continue to enjoy the peace and stability.7 In this regard, the SAF constantly seeks to improve and position itself as "one of the most technologically advanced militaries in Southeast Asia".8 However, unlike the two previous changes that the SAF undertook in the 70s and early 90s9, this latest change deals not only with the tangibles, i.e. hardware, but also the intangible aspects as well, i.e. culture change, to deliver a SAF that is people-centred, technologically advanced, integrated and networked, and capable of undertaking a spectrum of operations.10 Also unlike the two previous changes, the imperatives for this change are multifaceted and dynamic; an uncertain security environment, an increasingly more educated population, a resource-tight disposition and a growing technology sector, requiring stakeholders to move out of their stable comfort zones to embrace a culture of change that is associated with uncertainties and anxieties, in order to rise above the flux. However, this presents a "value paradox"11 given the prevailing SAF cultures, as the following segments illustrate.