Ready to lead by example

Given that they attended the same polytechnic, were in the same Basic Military Training batch, and now, graduated as officers together, it will be a challenge for anyone to find 2nd Lieutenant (2LT) Wong Kee Yao and his elder brother, 2LT Wong Kee Hui, apart from each other.

"From young, we've always done everything together, such as playing games, and this has fostered a strong bond between us. Even without our parents telling us, we will constantly look out for each other and always have each other's back," said 2LT Wong Kee Hui.

It is this strong bond and encouragement for each other that the two brothers got through the tough training at the Officer Cadet School (OCS). Both graduated with the other 473 of their batch mates at the Officer Cadet Course (OCC) Commissioning Parade held at the SAFTI Military Institute on 17 Jun.

Citing an example of how he helped his younger brother, an Infantry Officer from the 8th Battalion, Singapore Infantry Regiment, 2LT Wong Kee Hui said: "I was (overseas) with him for our Jungle Confidence Course (JCC). My younger brother was not good with knots, so before he went for his JCC, I took time out to teach him how to tie the knots properly."

The younger brother said: "He also gave me a JCC survival kit, and he placed additional items, such as extra matchsticks, to make sure that I had enough. My brother even dropped me a note in the kit, telling me not to give up and to take good care of myself."

"Every time he did this kind of small gestures to encourage me, I'd feel motivated and it gave me the will to press on and complete the course," said the subject matter expert at Headquarters Basic Military Training Centre.

"He is my brother. No matter how tired I am, I'll still put in effort to do things that will boost his morale. This is what brothers are for," said the elder brother.

Another graduand who was inspired by his brother, who was a Corporal First Class Rifleman in Maju Camp, is 2LT Navin Manogaran. This made him strive for excellence and put his best effort in everything he did.

"He told me to make the best of my journey, and also shared stories of how his officers gained the respect of his men by motivating them to do better each time they faced a setback. Such stories sparked a fire in me as I want to lead and inspire people, just like the officers," said the Sword of Merit recipient.

2LT Navin's wish came true on the third day of the Summary Exercise when he was selected to be the Platoon Commander. He had to take charge of the well-being of 27 men and make sure that all of them remain motivated to complete the mission.

"Being the PC, I had to think on my feet and act fast, as anything could happen during the battle injects, such as having a casualty. At the same time, I had to exercise command and control for the mission and make sure that everybody stayed safe during the mission," said the Ground Based Air Defence Air Warfare Officer.

Even though 2LT Navin and most of his team mates were worn out by the third day, he refused to let fatigue get the better of him and pushed on with the mission.

He said: "I knew I needed to complete the mission. So, I kept on encouraging and motivating my men to persevere by constantly checking on each of them. I didn't rest until the last team member achieved the timing.

"It was the toughest day of the whole course, and I'm proud of myself as I've improved as a leader, and am more able to remain calm and think clearly under stressful circumstances."

Speaking at the commissioning parade, Deputy Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for Economic and Social Policies Tharman Shanmugaratnam emphasised the need for the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) to continue to evolve with the changing global security environment, in order to deal with the challenges adequately, such as neutralising terror threats.

Addressing the OCC graduands, Mr Tharman said: "As officers, you must help your men appreciate and internalise the importance of their role as national servicemen, who form the backbone of the SAF. As their role models, you must lead by example and uphold the highest standards of discipline and professionalism so that you can win their trust and respect. As their comrade-in-arms, you must care for them without bias."

These words were not lost on 2LT Ahmad Hafizuddin, a Sword of Honour recipient. When asked what the most important trait a leader should have was, he replied: "A leader should always be there for his men. As officers, we must always have that extra edge, to keep pushing on when others can't. It's important that we never give up, as our men will need someone to look up to in times of crises and hardship."

2LT Ahmad recounted a time when he and his fellow officers almost gave up during an exercise: " we had to reach a checkpoint by a certain time in order to pass the course. However, we still couldn't locate the point, with 40 minutes left on the clock. To make things worse, our visibility was limited as it was pouring very badly and we were already tired from climbing many hills and knolls."

2LT Ahmad and his team were on the verge of giving up when the thought of not getting the coveted JCC badge struck them. This gave them the much-needed motivation to push on, gather their thoughts and continue trudging on in the rain.

He said: "When we finally found the point, I wouldn't be lying if I said I teared up a little, out of happiness. We shouted so loudly and just collapsed under the pouring rain in relief. After this experience, I learnt never to give up and just keep fighting on because you never know how close you are to victory if you quit halfway."

2LT Koh En Qi, who received the Sword of Merit, shared 2LT Ahmad's views and added: "I also believe that a leader should lead by example. We may not be as skilful or knowledgeable as our men, but we need to have good values and work ethic that they can follow."

Speaking from experience, the Naval Officer added: "I have been on board ships with experienced crew who displayed these traits, and it made me trust them more. I hope to emulate them so that I can gain the respect of my men, as only then will we be able to work together effectively as a team."

Besides hoping to become a role model for her men, 2LT Koh also wants to be someone whom her younger brother can look to for advice when he enlists for National Service in two years' time.

"I have been telling him about my military life, especially BMT, just like how fathers reminisce about their times before their sons enlist. I want him to put in his best effort to get into OCS and receive the tough training there, so that he can grow to be tougher and stronger to protect his loved ones."