CONTINUING SINGAPORE'S DEFENCE

The mood was sombre.

A total of 1,055 specialist cadets (SCTs) were graduating from their 22-week course, but the atmosphere was far from celebratory.

There was no doubt that the passing of Singapore's founding father Mr Lee Kuan Yew had an effect on everyone who was at the parade. The solemnness of the event was amplified by the minute of silence observed by the parade participants and attendees.

The graduation parade was held at Pasir Laba Camp on 27 Mar. In his speech, Chief of Staff-General Staff Brigadier-General (BG) Lim Hock Yu paid tribute to Mr Lee, and said that the Singapore Armed Forces' achievements today were only possible through Mr Lee's vision and inspiring leadership.

He said: "The late Mr Lee firmly believed that a strong defence is the cornerstone of Singapore's success We pay tribute to him by making sure that every one of our commanders and soldiers continues to be committed to the defence of Singapore."

BG Lim added that the strength of the SAF lay not in its advanced military hardware, but in the continued commitment, competence and fighting spirit of its people, and urged the graduands to help their men understand and internalise the importance of National Service (NS).

"Lead by example and with conviction, empathise with your fellow soldiers, and engage them sincerely. Be their guide and their mentor. In turn, they will look to you for guidance and support."

His message was not lost on SCT Audrey Ng. The 24-year-old became a regular with the Military Police (MP) Command as she wanted to do her part by contributing to the defence of Singapore, and keeping it safe.

Inspired by her two elder brothers who signed on as regulars, she had asked them the reason for signing on and this was what her elder brother told her: "If you can't even protect your country, what makes you think that you can protect your family?"

"And that was why I decided to sign on as well, simply because they've both inspired me. It's not easy, but I have always felt that if my brothers can go through it, I, as their sister, can do it too. There's nothing to stop me," said SGT Ng.

Having brothers who were already in the force also helped shape her decision to join the MP Command.

Seeing that she liked the law and MP Command was a more disciplined vocation, SCT Ng's brothers advised her to go into it as she "would really enjoy (the job) and one where she would stay for long".

When asked what kind of leader she would want to be to her men, SCT Ng said: "I want to be someone who walks side by side with them because I want to let them know that even though I have a (higher) rank and am in charge of them, we are ultimately the same once we step out of the military."

"Without their help, there is no way I can finish my task. Giving orders is easy, but teamwork is ultimately most important."

For SCT Rohan Matthew Thomas, a ruptured appendix forced him to drop out of his Combat Diving Course (CDC) last August, just three weeks short of his graduation. However, this did not stop the 20-year-old from doing a recourse three months later.

"I was devastated and very angry. But I had the support of my family. They told me to snap out of it and stop feeling sorry for myself, and start all over again," said SCT Rohan.

"So I went back. I was so close to the end and I did not feel that there was any reason to give up."

The golden bayonet recipient also shared that despite his going out of course, his batch mates made it a point to visit him in hospital and at home each time they booked out. Their heartwarming gestures made SCT Rohan feel like he was still part of their batch.

Going through the CDC again may have been tough, but all these just proved that he could really accomplish anything if he put his mind to it. SCT Rohan revealed that he would be going for an Officer Cadet School interview two weeks later.

"Going through it (the CDC) again just makes me know that I'm tougher than I think I am, and nothing can beat me down."

For SCT Jason Lam, being posted to the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) was somewhat of a dream come true. He had always wanted to be a pilot, but a failed test dashed that ambition. Nevertheless, the 21-year-old was glad that he still made it as a Ground Based Air Defence (GBAD) specialist.

The golden bayonet recipient shared that during his days in GBAD, he and his fellow trainees had to perform a daily 15-minute drill of checking their uniform and bearing, and accounting for strength in the parade square before starting the day.

"All these helped build up our discipline and our drills," he said.

When asked about his thoughts on the passing of Mr Lee, SCT Lam said that while his death was a sad incident, he felt that he should continue to do his best and perform his duties as a full-time National Serviceman well.

He added: "As an air defender, I think my role is very important, and if anyone wants to attack us, my focus should be on playing my part well."

SCT Ng agreed. "I really think that what Mr Lee Kuan Yew has left for us is important. There are people who think that NS is a waste of time, but all our defence skills were actually picked up from NS."

"As Mr Lee said, if we do not want to defend Singapore, who will?"

Of the graduands, 1,002 were from the Army, 17 from the Republic of Singapore Navy and 36, from the Air Force. Present at the parade were also senior SAF officers, as well as families and friends of the graduands.