RECOGNISING THE "UNCOMMON SOLDIER"

Standing alongside their brothers-in-arms, they voluntarily play their part in safeguarding the safety and security of our nation.

Provided with opportunities to assume demanding appointments that were perceived in the past as the domain of men, many servicewomen in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) have taken up the challenge and made their mark in various fields.

Ms Indranee Rajah, Chairman of the Government Parliamentary Committee for Defence and Foreign Affairs, commended these women for their efforts through the generations, at the 4 Jun opening of Women in the Armed Forces - The Spirit of Patriotism, an exhibition showcasing their contributions.

"The SAF servicewoman is indeed a unique person," said Ms Rajah.

"At home, you are a wife, mother, daughter and sister. At work, you are not only a leader, but you are a 'mother' of sorts to your men under your command and 'sister' to your peers. You stand shoulder-to-shoulder with your brothers-in-arms, safeguarding the security and the sovereignty of our nation. You are truly an 'Uncommon Soldier'," she said.

The three-day exhibition is held at the Suntec City Entertainment Centre atrium and it features the stories and personal artefacts of servicewomen from the formative years to the third-generation SAF today.

It all began with the People's Defence Force (Women) in the 1960s. Although they provided mainly clerical support then, their back-end contribution was pivotal in ensuring that the mass registration for the start of National Service at Central Manpower Base in 1967 was a success.

As the SAF transformed over the years, the roles of the women evolved and from clerical and logistical functions, they began to undertake combat instructional roles in the 1970s.

The women were roped in to serve as combat instructors, teaching weapon training at the former SAFTI at Pasir Laba Camp, and also at NS training centres.

By 1994, women were also recruited to fill combat vocations, initially serving in the combat service support vocations before eventually progressing to more physically-challenging combat vocations such as Guardsmen and Naval Divers.

"The Navy has actually opened up many opportunities for women and since the beginning, when women first joined the Navy, they have actually not put a lot of restrictions on how far we can go, but allowed us to explore our own abilities to work within the organisation," said Major (MAJ) Kuah Chee Kay, Head Training Plans & Policy Branch.

"The Navy has given me a lot of opportunities to learn things that I don't think I would have gone on to learn on my own. For example, learning about the security of the country, learning how to communicate with people, learning how to groom people within the organisation and even learning how to cultivate this family-like kind of spirit within an organisation as big as the Navy and the SAF. I think that is something very unique."

As for Lieutenant (LTA) Fadilah Binte Abdul Rajak, she was joined the SAF because she was intrigued by how the organisation function, the skills that were needed in a military career and the chance to wield weapons and explosives.

"After my studies, I had to choose a career and what could be a better career than defending your own country?" said the infantry officer.

"So I think I have a very honourable and satisfying job!"

After being in the Air Force for 27 years, the most memorable experience for Master Warrant Officer Balbir Kaur, Officer Commanding, Air Operations Systems Specialist Training Flight, came in 2000 when she was appointed Regimental Sergeant Major.

"In this appointment, you have to be good in operations. You also have to deal with men on the ground, and deal with regimentation, discipline and taking on parades. That was quite challenging for me," she recalled.

"I think I have excelled, but we can only be successful with the support and belief of our commanders and the men on the ground."

Currently, there are about 1,700 women regulars in the SAF and many of them have charted milestones in Singapore and SAF history through their achievements.

For example, Lieutenant-Colonel (LTC) Lim Sok Bee became the first Commanding Officer of an Artillery battalion in 2000; MAJ Serene Chua assumed command of a Naval Mine Countermeasure Vessel in 2000; and LTC Gan Siow Huang currently commands the 203 Squadron in the Air Force.

In addition, First Warrant Officer (1WO) Jennifer Tan currently serves as the first female Regimental Sergeant Major in an Armour battalion, and in 2005, Colonel Karen Tan became the first SAF servicewoman to be promoted to the rank of full Colonel.