Facts: - branch: singapore armed forces - caption: neo 18 may 2011 on board the uss '' mccampbell '' on - allegiance: singapore - awards: '' see #awards '' - serviceyears: 1983 -- 2013 - laterwork: '' see #civil career '' - name: neo kian hong - image size: 180px - image: file : neo kian hong.jpg - birth place: singapore - rank: lieutenant-general Based on these bullet points, write a short biography describing the life of neo kian hong .
A:
neo kian hong is a singaporean civil servant and former army general .he was the seventh chief of defence force of the singapore armed forces from 2010 -- 2013 and held the rank of lieutenant-general .before that , he served as the chief of the singapore army from 2007 -- 2010 .after retiring from active military service in 2013 , neo joined the civil service and became the permanent secretary -lrb- education development -rrb- in the ministry of education .