When CO says chiong sua: NSman team training to scale Mt Kilimanjaro

On a Sunday morning, my photographer and I stood beside the iconic Bukit Timah Nature Reserve rock. We were meeting a group of NSmen (Operationally Ready National Servicemen) from 411th Battalion, Singapore Armoured Regiment (411 SAR).

The unit, which completed its Army Training Evaluation Centre (ATEC) evaluation in 2025, will be entering its MR (MINDEF Reserve) phase next year.

And the 411 SAR commanders had an interesting idea for how they would cap off their NS (National Service) journey: climbing Mount Kilimanjaro!

An experienced climber who has scaled peaks like Mt Asama and Mt Everest, Commanding Officer (CO) Lieutenant Colonel (LTC) (NS) Leow Kah Shin will go from leading them in ATEC to leading them up Africa’s highest mountain.

In a test of stamina and lung capacity, we joined them on their training hike up Bukit Timah Hill, interviewing LTC (NS) Leow, Motor Transport Officer (MTO) Lieutenant (LTA) (NS) Alexander Cheong, and Regimental Sergeant Major (RSM) 2nd Warrant Officer (2WO) (NS) Ong Jia Ying along the journey.

So, what are the most important things to prepare for climbing a mountain?

LTC (NS) Leow: Climbing a mountain is quite similar to a military operation.

First, you must ensure you have the appropriate equipment prepared for the operation. Being prepared is critical especially for Mt Kilimanjaro, where temperatures can plunge to -20 degrees Celsius and winds can exceed 70km/h on summit days.

Second, you must be physically fit for the terrain, which is why we’re training on Bukit Timah Hill in Singapore on weekends.

Finally, an expedition team needs to have good teamwork, where everyone watches out for each other, and that is something we have going at 411 SAR.

How have you guys been training to boost your physical fitness?

2WO (NS) Ong: I do mostly cardio training, running between 5 to 10km per session, for about two to three sessions per week. Around two months before the expedition, we started trekking Bukit Timah with load, once every week.

LTA (NS) Cheong: Doing the “Stairway to Heaven” at Bukit Timah… it’s intense.

LTC (NS) Leow, what keeps you going back to climb mountains?

LTC (NS) Leow: For myself, I like to keep pushing the limits, albeit slowly and in a safe way. My mountain-climbing journey started more than 20 years ago, with small mountains first. Over time, the mountains became bigger and bigger.

I hope that the 411 SAR commanders can adopt the same spirit in their lives and never settle for the status quo.

What is an experience that you remember fondly with these guys?

LTA (NS) Cheong: The NS journey is truly underrated. You can never get an experience like this outside of ICT (In-Camp Training) – you and your buddies working towards a common goal.

2WO (NS) Ong: On New Year’s Day 2023, LTC (NS) Leow and I were running on the trail surrounding MacRitchie Reservoir. Five minutes into our run, it started raining heavily.

We decided to press on and finish the run as we were so ‘invested’. To us, it made no sense to stop running when we got up early on a holiday and (had already gotten) drenched.

⁠LTC (NS) Leow: I feel very proud and honoured to share such an amazing NS experience with the soldiers of 411 SAR.

Throughout our journey, we have undertaken amazing tasks together, and it is fitting that we will end our journey on a literal high with this expedition.

What’s your day job, and was it a challenge getting time off for this expedition?

2WO (NS) Ong: I do inventory control at NatSteel Holding Pte Ltd. Being away from work and probably uncontactable throughout the expedition, is definitely a challenge for my department and colleagues. My colleagues will have to start familiarising with my part of the work, weeks before the expedition.

LTA (NS) Cheong: I work in Investor Relations at Quantedge Capital, and I’m extremely thankful to currently be in an environment that does not stop me from taking these long breaks. They are also extremely supportive of ICT too.

When you summit Mt Kilimanjaro, what's the first thing you’ll say?

LTC (NS) Leow: To my guys, I will say: "Let’s have a beer together!”

2WO (NS) Ong: Pang gang* loh!

LTA (NS) Cheong: Huh, that’s all?

*Hokkien for “time to knock off”

What were your family members’ reactions to you going for this expedition?

2WO (NS) Ong: I invited my wife to climb Kilimanjaro with me. She thought for a few seconds and told me I can go on my own. (laughs)

LTA (NS) Cheong: My wife wasn’t keen at first, but I assured her that I would practise hard and train progressively, building my fitness up for the climb.

To LTC (NS) Leow, do you have any words to share with your men before the climb?

⁠LTC (NS) Leow: I will say the same thing that I say at the start of every ICT: “Be safe, and let’s go back safely to our families.”