NEW OFFICERS READY TO INSTIL SENSE OF PURPOSE IN THEIR SOLDIERS

At 18, he was not mature enough to understand the importance of national defence. In fact, when 2nd Lieutenant (2 LT) Andre Chong enlisted for National Service (NS), he found it hard to see the positive aspects of it. It was only after living abroad that he began to realise its significance.

"After studying over four years in the United Kingdom where there is no conscription, I realised that students there were apathetic toward national security," recalled the 24 year-old who disrupted his NS after the first phase of his Officer Cadet training. He was then reading law under an Overseas Merit Scholarship offered by the Public Service Commission.

"There isn't the same sort of commitment (to defence)... that we have in Singapore. I can see that my Singaporean friends, who have done NS, are much more concerned and involved about national security," he said.

2LT Chong now wants to do his part as an officer in 2nd Battalion, Singapore Infantry Regiment (2 SIR), to ensure younger citizen soldiers know why they need to serve. "I want to help them to understand that they are not just a number but valued individuals, and to see themselves as professional citizen soldiers," he said.

2LT Chong was one of 285 officer cadets who were commissioned as officers in a parade held at SAFTI Military Institute on 18 Oct. The parade marked the completion of 38 weeks of rigorous training at the Officer Cadet School (OCS). For being the top graduand in the Infantry Formation, he received the Sword of Honour from reviewing officer, Minister for Manpower Tan Chuan-Jin.

At the parade, Mr Tan, who was a Brigadier-General in the Army before joining politics, shared his personal journey as an officer in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF). He told the graduands that rank did not make one a leader, and that they had to earn the trust of their men, and inspire them.

He said: "We command because we have been given that authority and the weight that comes with that. But we lead because others follow. They follow because they trust us. They trust because of who we are, the values we stand for. They trust us when we are able to put others before self."

The message resonated strongly with 2LT Webster Chia, who was an obese recruit and could not do a single pull up when he enlisted for NS. But he worked hard and obtained a Silver in his Individual Physical Proficiency Test (IPPT) during Basic Military Training (BMT). He continued to push himself and obtained a Gold in IPPT at OCS because he wanted to lead by example as a future officer.

"I wanted to take charge of my own fitness," he recalled. "Back in BMT, I would run with my sergeants and company mates four times a week, during our free evenings."

He also understands that leadership goes beyond proving one's fitness.

"It is also about communication. I will have to work with NSF and NSman specialists who are older and more experienced than me. So I will get to know them well first and learn from them," said 2LT Chia who will serve in the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) as a Receive-Only Station Commander. Working with a specialist, he will collate and relay intelligence information transmitted from Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs).

For 2LT Sanjiven Sondarajan, being commissioned as an officer was a dream come true. He grew up watching war movies like Saving Private Ryan, and wanted to be the heroic soldiers in the films.

"It has always been my dream, so why not make it a career," said the 21-year-old who has signed on as a Guards Officer.

One important lesson he learnt in OCS was overcoming his limiting beliefs. There were occasions when he was struggling to complete an intensive field exercise, and his instructor would spring a surprise by extending the exercise. But he and his platoon mates completed it.

"I've learnt that whenever I am tired, it is actually not my limit yet. What I feel is my limit is actually not my limit, and I can do much more than I believe I can."

Sometimes, it takes some encouragement from the people around you to push on. Just ask 2LT Mohamed Arshaq whose journey in OCS was an emotional roller coaster. Just two months before commissioning, he lost his beloved grandfather. He was then taking part in an overseas exercise - the last phase of his OCS training - and wanted to quit.

"It was an emotional decision rather than a logical one. But my instructors and platoon mates understood what I was going through. They were the ones who kept me going," he said.

The 22-year-old, who will be posted to OCS as an instructor, hopes to pay it forward. "I hope to help my future trainees know why they need to serve, follow the principles and always make the right call."

The newly-commissioned officers will go on to assume command, instructional or staff appointments in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF).

Present at the parade were Members of Parliament, senior SAF officers, Ministry of Defence officials, and families and friends of the graduands.