S'PORE OFFICER EMERGES AS TOP US AIR FORCE ACADEMY GRADUATE

Pilot trainee Lieutenant (LTA) Jonathan Loh flew the Singapore flag high in the United States (US), when he was named the top graduate of the United States Air Force Academy (USAFA) class of 2024. The graduation ceremony was held on 30 May at the academy's Falcon Hall in Colorado, US.

In fact, he is only the second Singaporean ever to achieve this honour at the prestigious military academy – the other was Republic of Singapore (RSAF) Chinook pilot Colonel (Ret) Low Chung Guan, way back in 1995!

LTA Loh, 25, topped his class of 974 cadets, where he was one of just 15 international students from countries such as Thailand, the Philippines, Cameroon and Peru. His name was also tapped into the USAFA's 100-year honour roll.

Here are a few things to know about LTA Loh:

He always knew he would be a pilot

He first learnt about flying when he was a student in St Andrew's Junior College, after visiting the Singapore Youth Flying Club's booth at a co-curricular activity fair.

"I remember going to the booth and, for the first time in my life, imagining what it would be like to fly a plane. And that just sounded really, really fun," he recounted.

However, as he was heavily involved in other student activities at the time, this dream of his never took flight – until he enlisted in Basic Military Training (BMT).

"While in BMT, I decided to apply to the RSAF to be a pilot, because there's honestly everything to be gained by going on this adventure."

He also remembered his parents' words of wisdom that encouraged him to serve a cause bigger than himself.

"My parents brought me up on the principle that few things are more meaningful than to help others and to live a life of service. This is something that the RSAF continues to inculcate in me, with its mission of deterrence and the defence of our homeland and the people who grew up with me.

"Choosing to say 'yes' to defending them with my life is a difficult but noble thing, and it's something I want to get behind."

He went through BMT twice. Sort of.

When he entered USAFA in 2020, he had to shave his head and become a recruit again for their Basic Cadet Training.

The six-week course, taught by upperclassmen (those in year two, three and four), is meant to help cadets transit from civilian to military life and equip them with soldiering skills like drills, field training and tactical combat casualty care.

While researching to prepare for the course, he saw the strict regimentation that cadets would have to undergo, and questioned if he could tahan (endure) it.

"I saw videos of the upperclassmen disciplining the freshmen (year one cadets) who needed to be disciplined, and it made me ask myself, would I be willing to essentially go through another year of basic military training?

"But I weighed it against the prestige of being able to represent Singapore and of the world-class education I would be getting – it would be an honour to be there, and so I thought it was absolutely worth it."

He's living out the hopes his late mum had for him

LTA Loh's late mother, who passed away when he was 12 from gallbladder cancer, had always cared deeply about his education and academics.

"She wanted me to get a good job and secure a future for myself – it's a meritocratic society after all," he said, recalling the Chinese tuition and piano classes she signed him up for, and the 10-Year Series books she bought him.

Although he is sad that she is unable to witness his achievements in school, BMT, OCS and now at USAFA, he is grateful to be able to share them with his father, stepmother and brothers. He is also thankful to his teachers who guided him in growing through his grief.

"My mum left us, her sons, some parting words: be kind and caring, be humble, and honour God. I could not control what happened to her, but I knew that these parting instructions were things I had to live by."

He would like to thank the 10-Year Series for making him who he is

Ok, it's a joke, but not really.

LTA Loh believes that he was able to ace both his studies and training in USAFA, thanks to the rigors of the Singapore education and BMT systems.

"The Singapore system education made me an academic weapon. Without a doubt, (the system) prepared me to sleep late, do the 10-Year Series (practices), take practice exams and take time trials.

"If I said the phrase 'time trial' to any of my American counterparts they would ask what that is, but all of us know because our teachers told us to time our papers and make sure they're all done right," he said with a laugh.

His time in BMT, Officer Cadet School and Air Grading Course (AGC) also drilled into him fundamental soldiering and airmanship skills.

"When I was doing the checks (during the glider programme at USAFA), my instructor pilots were like, 'You know your stuff, like your checklists, even before I can prompt you.'

"That's because I had gone through Air Grading Course in the RSAF where, if I didn't know my checklists, my instructors would be like, 'Hey, do you actually want to fly? Why you sign on ah?'"

LTA Loh added: "Graduating number one (in my USAFA class) was not the goal; but I certainly wanted to give my best for my country and for the people who invested in me."