1,126 READY TO LEAD AS SAF SPECIALISTS

"I look up to him as my role model," beamed Specialist Cadet (SCT) Muhammad Ashaari Bin Ramli as he spoke about his brother, 2nd Sergeant (2SG) Muhammad Aliff bin Ramli, who is a serving as a Regular in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) Guards formation. "Whenever I needed help, he would always give me advice."

Following in his brother's footsteps, SCT Ashaari also signed on as a Regular with the Infantry and excelled in his Specialist Cadet Course, in which he received the Silver Bayonet.

He said: "Going through the course allowed me to gain a clearer purpose and stronger motivation to contribute to our country s defence."

SCT Ashaari was one of the 1,126 specialist cadets who received the 3rd Sergeant rank during the 25th Specialist Cadet Graduation Parade held at the Pasir Laba Camp on 17 Dec, which was reviewed by Minister of State for Health Dr Lam Pin Min.

Speaking at the parade, Dr Lam noted that as the threat of extremism continues to evolve around the globe, the SAF must become even more vigilant and resilient.

Highlighting the critical role that the specialists play in this regard, Dr Lam said: "We count on you to help the men and women under your charge understand and internalise the importance of a strong defence."

He added: "Train your soldiers well and train them hard. Be prepared to show them the way, and help them achieve the standards that you set for them. But always remember to lead by example and with conviction, and engage them sincerely."

This message was not lost on SCT Wong Jun Wei, who was graduating as a Guards specialist. The Golden Bayonet award recipient said: "Sometimes, you have to understand your men, and let them see reason behind your every action. Only then will they be willing to follow your command."

Speaking about the difficulties he faced during the course, the 27-year-old said: "As I am older than the rest of my fellow cadets, I found it hard to keep up with them during the physical training thankfully, they were very supportive and we helped each other along the way."

Fellow Golden Bayonet recipient Military Expert 1 Trainee (ME1T) Lim Gek Swee echoed similar sentiments as she also had difficulties initially trying to keep up with her male counterparts. Nonetheless, that did not deter her from acing the course and receiving the prestigious Golden Bayonet award.

The former Khoo Teck Puat Hospital nurse attributed her excellent performance to the strong support she has received from her family. "Initially, they were a bit hesitant about my decision to sign on, but over time, they started to accept it and became very supportive."

ME1T Lim, who went on humanitarian assistance and disaster relief missions to Jakarta and Sri Lanka in 2014, hopes that she can become an Independent Duty Corpsman and embark on more of such missions with the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN).

The parade was attended by senior SAF officers as well as friends and families of the graduands.