GAME FOR A CHALLENGE

As a woman about to lead an Infantry section, 3rd Sergeant (3SG) Ranjitha D/O Ramachandran was apprehensive. However, her fear proved to be unfounded as she was able to bond with her men pretty quickly.

"My section is very cooperative and we work well together," said 3SG Ranjitha. "We also motivate one another and constantly try to improve as a section."

The 21-year-old signed on with the Singapore Armed Forces about a year ago during her third year at Republic Polytechnic, where she was pursuing a diploma in sports and exercise science.

Wanting a career that would challenge her physically, she decided on a combat vocation in the Infantry. She gets the most satisfaction in her job from imparting new knowledge and skills to her fellow section mates, and seeing them do well during field training.

One memorable moment happened during a five-day field camp where her men were struggling to cope with the demanding drills.

"They were getting exhausted fast. But on the last day, there was a dramatic improvement and they executed all their drills well," she said.

When she's not charging at the enemy with her section, 3SG Ranjitha is an avid runner (she has done six half-marathons) and video gamer. Unsurprisingly, her favourite games — which include Assassin's Creed, Resident Evil and Far Cry — tend to involve taking down bad guys.