AN ENRICHING CAREER IN THE SAF

Think of the military, and what first comes to mind? For most, it would most probably be images of hi-tech equipment and hardware like fighter jets, battle tanks and warships. Ultimately, however, it is the dedicated people behind these sophisticated platforms who determine the success of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) in keeping the country safe.

Visitors to the Armed Forces Career Experience held at the Ngee Ann City Civic Plaza will get a chance to interact with such dedicated personnel from different Services and vocations.

This annual career fair, which runs from 27 Feb to 1 Mar, aims to create greater awareness about the wide array of positions and opportunities available in the SAF.

There at the fifth edition of the fair to share his experiences in the SAF was Major (MAJ) Mohd Fahmi Bin Aliman, Commanding Officer 3rd Guards Battalion. A polytechnic graduate who joined the Army in 1992, MAJ Fahmi was given the opportunity five years later to pursue further studies in the United Kingdom.

One of the defining moments in his 17 years of service was in 2005, when he was selected to participate in the Aceh Monitoring Mission. He helped in the disarmament, demobilisation and re-integration of GAM (the Free Aceh Movement) into Acehnese society as part of the mission.

"In the SAF, you learn to sharpen your analytical and planning skills, and develop flexibility and adaptability in dealing with many different kinds of people. That's what helped me to deal with the complex situations I faced there," he explained.

For Captain Veronica Tan, Officer Commanding 2nd Company, 48th Battalion, Singapore Armoured Regiment, the attraction to a career in the military was the challenging nature of the job and the unique experiences it offered.

"To me, you live life only once, so I want to live an extraordinary life...and the Army allows me to experience things that most women don't experience, such as firing and driving tanks, and now, commanding a company that operates the Leopard tanks," she enthused.

LTA Singh aims to constantly improve himself as a confident and capable Chinook pilot who can make a difference if and when called upon to save lives.

So what are the qualities needed to see if you are suited to a career in the SAF?

According to Lieutenant Rajpal Singh, a Chinook pilot from 127 Squadron, there is no "textbook answer as to what an airman should be", but two of the most important characteristics to possess are the "desire to succeed and a never-give-up-attitude".

Sharing similar sentiments was 1st Warrant Officer (1WO) Teo Boon Chuang, Squadron Chief Underwater, 185 Squadron, who is responsible for training and developing the underwater systems of the Formidable-class frigates. "You need to have a positive attitude, commitment and the ability to handle stress," he said.

1WO Teo was trained to be a sonar operator of a submarine in Sweden. He was part of the elite pioneering team sent there.

He revealed that to be a submariner, one has to know not just the equipment, but also every detail of the myriad systems in the underwater vessel, and be equally adept at the other jobs in the submarine.

"There are always challenges, but the SAF trains us well to adapt to these different environments, and if you put your heart and soul into it, you can always overcome the difficulty and get the job done," he concluded.

Apart from getting first-hand information from military professionals like MAJ Fahmi and CPT Tan, other highlights of the exhibition include special performances by the SAF Music and Drama Company, the SAF Precision Drill Squad of the Military Police Command and unarmed combat performances by the Army Fitness Centre. MediaCorp artistes Jeanette Aw and Fiona Xie will also be gracing the event on 28 Feb and 01 Mar respectively.

27 Feb - 01 Mar 09 - Armed Forces Career Exhibition 2009

27 Mar 09 - An Enriching Career in the SAF