Finding their stride in NS

Some servicemen have a tough time getting used to the discipline and regimentation of military life. But for 3rd Sergeant (3SG) Mohamad Afzal Bin Mohamad Zin?

The Armour Infanteer knows all too well the importance of discipline, consistency and resilience.

A track-and-field athlete at the Singapore Sports School before entering National Service (NS), he had set a national Under-18 record in the Men’s Decathlon category, and won Gold in the 110m Hurdles at the National School Games in 2022.

Getting back on track

However, when he moved on to pursue a private diploma after Sports School, 3SG Afzal lost a lot of his drive and discipline.

“When I enlisted for NS and subsequently entered Specialist Cadet School (SCS), I found myself back in a structured environment with clear standards and people constantly pushing me to improve,” said the 21-year-old Full-time National Serviceman (NSF).

He added: “Just as improving in athletics required me to train consistently and push through difficult times, SCS taught me that becoming a better soldier and leader also requires sustained effort and resilience.”

Learning to lead

3SG Afzal, who has his sights set on becoming a coach in the future, is grateful to get the chance to develop his leadership skills in SCS.

One lesson came during his first Interval Fast March, about four weeks into his Foundation Term.

One of the trainers, who had been leading from the front, moved back when he saw gaps forming, encouraging the struggling cadets and helping them catch up with the rest.

“It showed me that as a leader, sometimes you do not just stay at the front,” 3SG Afzal recalled. “You also need to look back, see who needs help and bring them along with you.”

The newly minted 3rd Sergeant similarly hopes to guide and inspire others in his posting in the Armour Formation.

“I aspire to become a commander that everyone respects, do the things that they do…and join them all the way until the end.”

Beyond NS, he hopes to continue his studies and eventually develop the next generation of national athletes.

“I want to bring out the best in them and lead them all the way until they become stars, just like how my own coach and mentors helped me when I was younger!”

From IPPT fail to getting gold

Fellow specialist cadet graduate 3SG Samuel Ng, on the other hand, began his NS on a demoralising note. His biggest initial hurdle? Physical fitness.

“I hadn’t really trained before my enlistment. It was my A-level year, so I was just study, study, study… I completely neglected the fitness aspect.”

The 18-year-old barely managed five push-ups in his first Individual Physical Proficiency Test (IPPT), failing with 41 points overall.

However, his commanders never gave up on him and those who had fallen behind, gathering them together and joining them for extra training.

3SG Ng soon saw progress, pushing far beyond his expectations to attain an IPPT gold just five months later.

“With the encouragement of my commanders and leading by example, it really inspired us to push on and follow their lead.”

Learning the ropes of air defence

An Air Defence Weapon Specialist who operates the Republic of Singapore Air Force’s Aster 30 Missile System, 3SG Ng revealed that his interest in air defence was sparked by the movie Star Wars.

“There’s a scene where the Death Star has all those massive, double-laser cannons, and it can’t ever seem to shoot down anything. The young me was thinking, why is this so inefficient? Can’t they just use missiles instead?” he said with a laugh.

His reaction when introduced to the Aster 30 as part of 163 Squadron?

“When you see the real thing – the vertical launch system and all that – you’re like, wow, that’s more impressive than I thought!”

One challenge 3SG Ng had to overcome during training was learning to voice his opinion and communicate clearly with people of different ranks and expertise.

“Even though I’m the most junior (in the team), I’m also expected as a commander to share my perspective, because I’ll be on the ground operating the machines,” he explained.

The NSF, who describes himself as a “structured person who follows plans and manuals to a T”, also had to learn to adapt on the fly and be prepared for the unexpected.

“As I’ve learned in SCS, there can be many curveballs thrown at us, and I would like to (be the kind of leader who can) help other members of the team (effectively tackle the situation and) resolve it as soon as possible.”

His hard work in the course has paid off – at the specialist cadet graduation parade on 20 Aug, 3SG Ng received the Golden Bayonet, which is awarded to the top-performing graduands of the cohort.

“I’m very happy and proud that my consistent efforts in SCS have been recognised… It really does prove to myself that hard work can result in great achievements even when I started off with physical challenges.”