ALL IN THE FAMILY

For example, low-slung jeans were all the rage in the '90s but LTA Kevindev said he had no part in it. "Dad would go 'no, you're not supposed to dress up this way and go out of the house - make sure you wear a belt and your trousers fit properly!"

Job satisfaction

ME3-3 Sukhdev recalls being part of the Midshipman Sea Training Deployment (MSTD) in 1992. En route to Bombay, India, the crew discovered defects in the ship engines. They continued on to Mauritius and did a major overhaul.

"The engineering department split into two teams, took shifts and worked through the night to get the engines up and running again.

"The crew not only pulled off a major job in a foreign port, but managed to continue their mission as planned, without delays."

The satisfaction of seeing ship systems running well is something that has kept ME3-3 Sukhdev in the RSN for many years. "Actually, truth be told, we just wanted to see the city of Bombay," said ME3-3 Sukhdev with a laugh.

These days, his job scope has expanded to include greater responsibilities: "I help to make sure that all our craft in HQ MSTF are ready (to be deployed) at all times."

Father and mentor

Like any father, ME3-3 Sukhdev wants the best for his children. "When Kevin told me he wanted to be a Regular, I told him that this was going to be his career and that it would be tough.

"Don't come into (the Navy) and then drop out. You've grown up and have to be decisive."

LTA Kevindev remembers visiting Changi Naval Base many times in his growing-up years. "As a kid, I was very excited to see all the warships which defended our country."

The young Kevindev looked up to his father: "When I visited his ship and saw how people spoke to him, I could see that he was respected."

Open secret

It was only when he reported to RSS Independence, a Fearless-class Patrol Vessel, that he realised how well-known his father was in the RSN.

As he was submitting his personal details form to the ship Coxswain, he was asked if the ME3-3 Sukhdev he listed as his next-of-kin was indeed the ME3-3 Sukhdev from HQ MSTF. LTA Kevindev said yes, but asked the Coxswain to keep it a secret. "Work is work, I prefer not to bring in the father-son relationship."

Next thing he knew, he was being introduced to the ship's Commanding Officer (CO) who happened to know ME3-3 Sukhdev too. "Suddenly I was sitting next to the ship CO and he was talking to me about my father!"

When it comes to work, LTA Kevindev does not actively tell people that ME3-3 Sukhdev is his father. He might have a problem keeping that fact low-profile once this story is out!

(From left)
CPL (NS) Sadali Mawi
Admin Support Assistant, Headquarters SAF Transport

2WO Saloma Binte Johari
Training Admin Supervisor, SAF Personnel Hub (West)

2WO (Ret) Mawi Bin Mohd
F&B Manager, Pasir Laba Camp
Now a DXO

CPT Rudie Imran
Staff Officer, Headquarters 3rd Division
(Son-in-law)

How I met my mother-in-law

While most people would have first met their wife-to-be, followed by their in-laws, Captain (CPT) Rudie Imran did the reverse. He first met his wife's mother, 2nd Warrant Officer (2WO) Saloma Binte Johari, as a young lieutenant while serving in the 2nd People s Defence Force (2 PDF) Training Centre. 2WO Saloma was the Chief Admin Supervisor there.

As fate would have it, his father-in-law, 2WO (Ret) Mawi Bin Mohd, was serving in the SAF too. Yes, it is a little complicated so we let the family do the talking instead.

How did you meet your wife?

CPT Rudie: It was at a unit event celebrating Hari Raya. 2WO Saloma's daughter (who is now my wife) was one of those who were asked to perform and I was also performing. We dated secretly for a few months before I told 2WO Saloma!

2WO (Ret) Mawi: We knew! People would come up to tell me "your daughter going out with this young lieutenant, you know!" Before Rudie she had other boyfriends too but I told my daughter "now is study time, trust me, you will get a better man."

What's the best thing about having family who are also in the SAF?

CPT Rudie: They understand what is going on and why I have to stay late in camp sometimes. But it also means that I can't lie about having to work late then sneak off to do other things, because my in-laws' network is so wide, they would surely find out!

2WO Saloma: For my son, Sadali, I used to take him along to unit healthy lifestyle runs on weekends and sometimes I would bring him along to work. So when NS came around for him, I think he didn't get too much of a shock!

CPT Rudie: During big events like SAF Day and National Day Parade, it can feel like the whole family is involved too. We would call each other and ask for help on certain things.

Does being in the SAF mean that you expect more from your children?

2WO Saloma: Our standards were higher in terms of discipline. We expected them to show respect and also be responsible for their own things.

2WO (Ret) Mawi: I used to set out certain tasks for them which they had to complete daily. If they didn t do it and went to bed instead, I would wake them up in the middle of the night to finish the task.

How has being in the SAF influenced your family?

2WO (Ret) Mawi: There aren't any specific SAF influences but we do bring back stories to tell our children. For example, I was deployed to East Timor (now called Timor-Leste) in 2002 and I saw how bad conditions were over there.

When I came back, I told my children about how the people lived in East Timor. I particularly remember the mission: We had to climb mountains to receive satellite signals to call our families.

CPL (NS) Sadali: Hearing these stories makes us appreciate what we have here.

2WO Saloma: The main thing is discipline and knowing the right things to do at the right time. Without these, everything will go haywire. Luckily, our children have been quite easy to manage.

PNR: What is it like having parents in the military?

CPL (NS) Sadali: Like being on Pulau Tekong! People always think that if your parents are in the military, your upbringing must be very strict but it was not that bad, really. In a way, being strict is also a good thing because we all grew up fine.

2WO (Ret) Mawi: How I learnt to relate to my children was through the NS boys (Full-time National Servicemen) and NSmen (Operationally Ready National Servicemen) under my charge throughout my career in the SAF. Getting to know new people all the time was one of the perks of the job.

2WO Saloma: We manage soldiers and we see some of the issues they have, and we can share with the children when we come home.

(From left)
LTA Julie Lim Yee Sin
Pilot Trainee
SAF Merit Scholar, reading Engineering (Aeronautics) at the University of Cambridge

LTC Lim Kok Kheng
Super Puma Pilot
Branch Head, Joint Operations Department

Ms Jessie Lim Jie Sin
Defence Merit Scholar,
heading to University College London to read psychology

Like father, like daughters

As a father of three girls, Lieutenant Colonel (LTC) Lim Kok Kheng never thought that he would step foot on Pulau Tekong to send his children off, like most other parents do when their sons report for NS.

But he did it in 2012, when daughter Julie enlisted in the SAF. LTA Julie Lim is an SAF Merit Scholar. Second daughter Jessie is a Defence Executive Officer (DXO)and Defence Merit Scholar. His youngest daughter, nine-year-old Jamie, is still schooling.

"I knew that was the path she would take when she joined the Singapore Youth Flying Club and tasted solo flight," said LTC Lim of his eldest daughter. The same thrill was why he joined the SAF in 1988.

Home front

Listening to their banter, it is clear that the family is a close-knit one. It is also clear that the Air Force is a big part of their lives. For one, LTA Julie could identify almost all the aircraft in the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) by the time she was in secondary school.

"It was inevitable since dad took us to almost all the open houses and air shows when we were kids!" said LTA Julie.

Then there is the lingo that the family uses. Food that no one wants to eat is termed Foreign Object Debris or F.O.D (a term used by airmen to describe objects in or near aircraft which could potentially cause damage).

"Especially when we have soup and there's stuff inside that we don't like - we'll say 'can you finish up this F.O.D?'" said LTC Lim with a grin.

Growing up: LTC Lim and wife Stephanie with young Julie and Jessie at RSAF Open Houses.

Tough choices

On a more serious note, being in the military also means irregular hours and the occasional overseas deployment. In 2006, LTC Lim was sent overseas for a year to take command of a detachment.

"My wife Stephanie and I decided not to take the family with us because it was an important year for the two older kids," said LTC Lim. That year, LTA Julie had just begun her Secondary School education and younger sister Jessie was one year away from the Primary School Leaving Examinations.

"If I were to take them away that year, it would be a selfish decision. I had a job to do so I went alone, but my wife and youngest daughter did visit me a few times," said LTC Lim.

Good nurture

Said LTA Julie of her father's frequent travels: "I wouldn t say that it hindered my development. My mum, who is a home-maker, really guided us very well."

Nodding in agreement, LTC Lim said: "I think (my detachments) were more difficult for my wife (than for me). There were some small emergencies that happened while I was away.

"These incidents really tested the limits of the family but we emerged stronger."

Middle-child Jessie had a different take on her dad s frequent travels. "Him being away makes us appreciate his presence more and we don't take having both parents around for granted.

"When he is with us we can feel that he is fully focused on us."

Dream big

For the Lim family, trust means never stifling their children's dreams. "Growing up, I really appreciated the support from my parents for what we wanted in life," said Jessie.

As a child, LTA Julie wanted to be an astronaut. "They never stopped or suppressed our dreams, no matter how impossible they seemed."

The original dreamer in the family is clearly LTC Lim. "As a young man, my own father didn t want me in the military because he was worried about the risks. But tough, I had already made the decision."

And it is reaping unexpected dividends. Said LTA Julie: "My dad making that initial choice opened many doors for us. It was easier for me, as a female, to think of joining the military."

Growing up

The two older sisters remember a childhood filled with visits to RSAF Open Houses, watching National Day Parades as a family and listening to dad's stories.

He had a great influence on LTA Julie's decision to become a pilot. "Seeing what he does and, more importantly, the purpose of his job made me want to be in the SAF.

"He's very committed to what he does and that rubs off on us."

In a household with four women, LTC Lim is clearly outnumbered as the only guy in the family.

"Military culture at home? Not going to happen with four girls!" said LTA Julie.

Joked LTC Lim: "They clearly rule me. I'm the 'lowest' ranking at home!"

CPT Ashwin Kuppusamy Samales
Battery 2nd-In-Charge,
3rd Divisional Air Defence Artillery Battalion

2WO (RET) Kuppusamy M Samales
Aircraft Technician (now termed Air Force Engineer), retired in 2000
Now Operations Manager at Bukit Timah Primary School

Air time of their own

Having spent 27 years in the RSAF, 2nd Warrant Officer (2WO) (Ret) Kuppusamy M Samales still misses the roar of jet engines and the high tempo of operations. His son, CPT Ashwin K Samales, is an Air Warfare Officer in a Ground-Based Air Defence unit.

What made you join the SAF?

2WO (Ret) Kuppusamy: At the time, I had just finished my 'O' levels and I was already working. Some of my close friends told me that I could join the RSAF.

Back then, we were building up the Air Force and there were many recruitment drives for all types of airmen. I was one of the few guys selected and one of the few who passed the test to become a technician.

CPT Ashwin: I've always had this fascination with all things military since young. That was in part due to the reading materials that my dad brought home when I was a kid. He would bring home military aviation magazines and, naturally, my interest in aviation started from there.

Some of my friends were quite surprised when they found out (that I'd joined the military) because I wasn't in any uniformed group in school.

What was the RSAF like back in your day?

2WO (Ret) Kuppusamy: We were called the Singapore Air Defence Command then, the RSAF name came much later. During my time, the planes we were using were very old. Now, we have some of the world s most advanced fighter aircraft like the F-16s and F-15SGs.

2WO (Ret) Kuppusamy with the now-retired A-4SU Super Skyhawks.

Is there a military culture at home?

2WO (Ret) Kuppusamy: It definitely influenced the way I behaved as a parent. Once you wear the uniform, you want to be smart and neat, and punctual, and I expected my children to have the same qualities.

CPT Ashwin: The house was very orderly. My dad was a Warrant Officer and he is strict and disciplined. I was always on my toes and I tried my best not to make any mistakes.

What was your reaction when your son said he wanted to sign on?

2WO (Ret) Kuppusamy: I'm proud of my boy. I think he has the capability to go far.

How did the family cope when dad was overseas for work?

CPT Ashwin: Growing up, my dad went for a 10-month detachment to Australia, which was the longest. The rest were brief two- or three- month stints.

His Australia detachment took up pretty much the entire year, but during the June school holidays we went to visit him. During that time, I grew closer to my mum who took care of us.

To be honest, being away from my dad was a bit of a relief because he wouldn't come home every day to check on me. (laughs)

What are your most valuable takeaways from the SAF?

2WO (Ret) Kuppusamy: You learn how to manage people and adapt your methods very quickly. When I was promoted to my current Operations Manager role in school, I was able to get things done quickly.

CPT Ashwin: There are valuable lessons from being in the military. One is that it teaches you to be calm under pressure. Like what my dad said, the adaptability of military people means that they can probably do well anywhere.

What's your most memorable experience in the SAF?

CPT Ashwin: I remember when I was the Tactical Control Officer for Exercise Cope Tiger in 2007 - that opened my eyes to the scope of air defence operations. We made decisions on which fire units to best take on various hostile targets.

Many of my experiences in the RSAF have, time and again, reinforced my belief that what we do is important for the stability and defence of Singapore. I'm just happy that I can do something to help defend Singapore.