MISSILE DESPATCHER
PHOTO // Mark Teo
ME2 Claire He, 32
Air Force Engineer, 805 SQN
While the office crowd keeps busy sending email messages occasionally containing a barb or two, Military Expert (ME) 2 Claire He deals with (potentially) more explosive content.
She is an Air Force Engineer who takes care of the Republic of Singapore Air Force's (RSAF's) munitions. "Air-to-air, air-to-ground missiles; that's what we look after," said ME2 He. "Everyone thinks that handling munitions is quite scary but if you treat them properly with respect, it's safe."
If she looks familiar, it is because she appears in RSAF recruitment materials. She is also part of the ground crew in the Black Knights aerobatics team. "I deal mostly with munitions and had little experience working on aircraft maintenance before joining the team, so it wasn't easy at the beginning."
Having performed at a few international airshows (watch the video clip!) with the Black Knights team, ME2 He is now a seasoned hand at keeping the Black Knights' six state-liveried F-16C fighter aircraft at the ready.
When asked what has kept her in the RSAF for the past 11 years, ME2 He replied: "I enjoy the working environment. There's also the satisfaction of seeing the munitions I work on hit their targets during training exercises."
It is probably not the best thing to be on the receiving end of her despatches.
