NEW SAF OFFICERS DETERMINED TO LEAD
// Report by Chia Chong Jin
// Photos by Chua Soon Lye
Becoming an officer in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) was what 2nd Lieutenant (2LT) Lucas Lim had in mind when he enlisted for National Service (NS) in October 2016.
"NS is something that all the guys in my family look forward to. Personally, being active in outdoor activities, I felt that I could contribute meaningfully during NS."
His dreams were dashed when he sustained an eye injury during Basic Military Training (BMT) which led to him being posted to the 1st Transport Battalion to serve in an administrative role. Though he liked what he was doing there, he remembered his dream to become an officer.
"I did not mind being there (at 1st Transport Battalion), and I loved what I did during my time there," said 2LT Lim. "But I felt that I was able to do more."
His patience and perseverance eventually paid off – after six months, it was assessed that his condition had stabilised. He then re-entered BMT in October 2017 and he went on to become Company Best Recruit and was subsequently selected for Officer Cadet School (OCS).
Family support was critical to his success, said the 22-year-old. "My parents supported me – they were with me throughout the journey and I thank them (for being there for me)."
On 15 Sep, 2LT Lim was among 250 cadets who were commissioned at the Officer Cadet Course Commissioning Parade held at SAFTI Military Institute. The parade marked the completion of 38 weeks of rigorous training. The cohort comprised 184 officer cadets from the Army, 34 from the Navy and 32 from the Air Force.
In his speech, Senior Minister of State for Defence Dr Mohamad Maliki Bin Osman, who reviewed the parade, reminded the newly minted officers of their responsibilities.
He said: "Lead with conviction, courage and compassion… Regardless of whether you are in or out of uniform, you never cease being an officer.
"Demonstrate your fortitude and resilience, trust the training that you have been given and use the SAF core values as your guiding light."
His words were not lost on 2LT Ashruff Bin Muhammed Ibrahim. The 21-year-old said that his time in OCS trained him to be more resilient. "It (the training at OCS) is mentally and physically gruelling," said 2LT Ashruff. "For us to be able to make it through the tough training, we had to help each other."
Recalling when he was appointed as a Platoon Commander during an overseas exercise. 2LT Ashruff said: "I took the role very seriously – it was an opportunity to prepare myself for the responsibilities of an officer." He emerged as one of the top graduands and received the Sword of Honour award.
Also earning his epaulettes was Sword of Merit recipient 2LT Naveen s/o Gunasakaram who has signed on to serve as an Air Warfare Officer with the Republic of Singapore Air Force.
He credits his elder brother, who is a Regular in the Republic of Singapore Navy, as an influence in his choice of career. "Whenever he comes home, my brother always shared interesting stories about his sailing experiences with us." said 2LT Naveen.
"I have a strong passion for aviation and I knew I wanted to join RSAF to play my part in the defence of Singapore."
