READY TO LEAD WITH CONVICTION

His journey to becoming a Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) officer was not easy. Midway through his training in Officer Cadet School earlier this year, Officer Cadet (OCT) Brandon Tan lost his dad to multiple myeloma, a form of cancer.

It was a cruel twist of fate. His mum had passed away the year before from colon cancer. But in an incredible show of mental resolve, OCT Tan coped with the painful losses, and never gave up.

"Training wasn't easy. At times, I felt that I wasn't capable enough, but I wanted to do this for them," he recalled. "So I told myself, If my parents could smile in front of me, knowing that they had to go through all the treatments, and all the pain that they had to endure, there is no way that I can let myself down.'"

Despite being severely ill, his dad, an ex-police regular, helped to prepare him for his "cross-over" interview that would determine his qualification for OCS. The 25-year-old Regular was an Artillery specialist for four years, and had attained the rank of 1st Sergeant.

"When I made it to OCS, my father was the happiest person," he recalled. "I told myself, this is something that I have to do for my father, and in honour of my mother to show them that I am able to do it," said the Sword of Merit recipient.

OCT Tan was one of the 335 officer cadets who were commissioned as officers in a parade held at the SAFTI Military Institute on 17 Sep.

The cohort comprised 270 from the Army and 65 from the Air Force. The commissioning parade marked the completion of 38 weeks of rigorous training at OCS.

Lead by example

In his address, Minister for Social and Family Development Tan Chuan-Jin, who reviewed the parade, urged the newly-minted officers to lead their men by example.

He said: "You will have the authority that comes with that rank But never mistake form for reality. You only begin to lead when you earn the trust and respect of your men. When that happens, they will not just do, they will run as lions and soar as eagles."

Mr Tan's message strongly resonated with OCT Lee ?Man Ying, an Air Warfare Officer (Command, Control and Communications) from the Air Force.

She was the only female officer cadet in her cohort, but that only spurred her on to set higher standards for herself. For example, in her Radar Air Traffic Controller course in OCS, she was the fittest trainee, and won the Best Physical Training (PT) Award.

When asked about her aspirations, she simply said: "I just want to continue to improve my skills and knowledge, so that when I lead or train my men in future, they will have confidence in my abilities, and respect me as a leader."

Finding meaning

OCT Lee chose a military career out of a conviction to serve the country. After graduating with a degree in Chemistry from the National University of Singapore, she worked as a laboratory staff. But after four years, she realised that the job wasn't a good fit, and decided to sign on as an Air Force regular.

She said: "I realised that I needed to make a switch, to find a career that is both meaningful and challenging. That's why I decided to join the SAF. To keep myself going, I need a job that not only adds meaning to my life, but also to society."

From fat to fit

Among the cadets who were commissioned were 21-year-old cousins: OCT Sivaraman S/O Sivanantham from the Army; and OCT Theepan Kumar S/O Sivaloganathan from the Air Force.

They studied in the same polytechnic, and enlisted for Basic Military Training (BMT) at the same time. They were then both obese and unfit.

BMT was a transformational experience for them OCT Sivaraman shed 16kg, while OCT Theepan lost 18kg.

OCT Sivaraman, who will become a platoon commander in the Military Police Command, said: "Because I was obese, I had self-esteem issues, so I kept to myself most of the time in polytechnic.

"BMT helped me to open up more. I had to interact with people (in order to) conduct missions. Then in OCS, the training toughened me up, and built up my mental strength."

As for OCT Theepan, he was not motivated to do well in his National Service (NS) initially. But midway through his BMT, having had the opportunity to lead his platoon mates through tough training, he started to enjoy his NS journey.

"What motivated me was the tough training. You have to make sure that you are not the only one pushing ahead, you have to also make sure your friends beside you are also pushing," said the Ground-based Air Defence (GBAD) officer who operates the RBS 70 Missile System.

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