BECOMING GOOD LEADERS

The pouring rain did little to dampen the high spirits of the 308 officer cadets who were commissioned as officers of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF).

They had undergone 38 weeks of rigorous training before attaining the rank of Second Lieutenant (2LT).

Speaking at the commissioning parade at the SAFTI Military Institute on 9 Apr, Reviewing Officer, Minister in the Prime Minister's Office and Second Minister for Finance and Transport Lim Hwee Hua, urged the cadets to lead by example because their men would watch their actions closely and even more so when going through rigorous and strenuous training together.

She said: "Uphold high personal standards and discipline, match your words with actions, and show care and conviction in what you do. Only then will you win the hearts and minds of your men.

"To be a good leader, you must also be physically fit and mentally tough. Always strive to do your best, and execute each task or mission you are given well and successfully."

These are words that OCT Jake Seah can relate to. He will be joining the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) as a Command, Control & Communications (C3) officer.

As a C3 officer, OCT Seah knows he has the important duty of ensuring the safety of aircraft pilots during their flight, by providing them with situation awareness of sky and ground conditions.

"The safety of the pilot and aircrew is in my hands, so there is a lot of pressure," said OCT Seah.

He said the officer cadet training had prepared him to cope with mental stress and to make correct decisions on the spot.

For fellow cadet OCT Samuel Stephens, who will become an Infantry officer, the training that he underwent to develop combat fitness was also challenging, both physically and mentally, for example, the field exercise training at Pulau Tekong which required the cadets to move across the island.

"We climbed several hills and walked more than 10 kilometres, carrying our full combat load," said OCT Stephens.

Both OCT Stephens and OCT Seah agreed that the demanding training helped them become better leaders.

OCT Stephens said: "What we have done is what the men whom we lead will go through. If we can successfully complete our field exercises, we can instil confidence in our men to do it as well."

For acing their course in their respective fields of specialisation, OCT Stephens and OCT Seah were awarded the sword-of-honour, which is given to top performing cadets in their cohort.

Said OCT Seah: "The experience has been very fruitful for me, and I will definitely miss the friends I have made. At the same time, I am looking forward to the next phase of my national service."