A STUDENT AGAIN

For some, signing on as a Regular in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) does not mean serving straight away. Like Lieutenant (LTA) Edward Lim and 2nd Lieutenant (2LT) Su Weijie, they start their SAF careers by first being a student.

Not long after graduating from the Officer Cadet School, LTA Lim and 2LT Su found themselves back in school, albeit one of a different nature - the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT).

"My superiors told me about the Local Study Award (LSA), which is a degree sponsorship, and I went for an interview because I wanted to further my studies," said LTA Lim, who is pursuing a Bachelor of Engineering in Marine Technology with Honours in Marine Engineering.

Likewise for 2LT Su, the SAF offered an opportunity for him to pursue further studies and build on his Electrical Engineering diploma. He applied for the LSA to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering and Information Technology. Their research on different local universities led them to SIT, which admits mostly diploma holders. The two Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) Regulars started their courses last August.

A learning journey

While it has not been that long since they last stepped into a classroom, going back to school was challenging, said 2LT Su. "In my polytechnic days, we were mainly taught to solve problems, but now in university, it's more of proving how we arrive at solutions. So it's a lot tougher for me."

LTA Lim added: "It has been quite stressful keeping up with the curriculum, but I think that with good time management, we should be able to cope well."

Unlike other students who have the luxury of letting their hair down during the holidays, the two can expect to do vacation attachments with the RSAF, said 2LT Su. He is attached to the Air Force Recruitment Centre during his school holiday which ends in January.

Knowledge application

On what they hope to gain from their degree courses, LTA Lim, who operates the I-Hawk missile system as an Air Warfare Officer in 163 Squadron, said: "It seems ironic for Air Force personnel like me to major in Marine Engineering.

"But what I'm studying now includes aspects of Mechanical and Electrical engineering, so I hope my engineering knowledge will come to good use, and I can contribute towards improving the RSAF's weapons systems capabilities."

2LT Su, who is from 165 Squadron which operates the Rapier Surface-to-Air missile system, aspires to use knowledge gleaned from his Electrical Engineering course to better lead the specialists in his squadron in maintaining systems and rectifying defects.

He added: "More importantly, I think the course will help develop my critical thinking skills, which I'll need as a leader, and I'm sure it will be useful when it comes to decision-making in the SAF."