S'PORE FLAG FLIES HIGH AT USAFA

CPT Shawn Ingkiriwang gets teased regularly at the ongoing Basic Wing Course conducted by the Air Force School. His course mates call him a "future general".

The trainee pilot has just returned from the United States Air Force Academy (USAFA) in Colorado, where he graduated with distinction in aeronautical engineering after four years. He was also awarded the Top Military Graduate.

This award is only presented to a cadet who tops the class in military performance and rated the best by his superiors, peers and subordinates in the academy.

"It's definitely a great honour to be the Top Military Graduate. In USAFA, every cadet was either nominated by the President himself or a member of Congress, so it was a challenge to compete with the top talents in the nation," said CPT Ingkiriwang, whose studies were paid for under the Military Training Award (MTA).

CPT Ingkiriwang's most memorable moment at USAFA was his graduation day when he threw his parade cap into the air.

For CPT Ingkiriwang to be selected for USAFA, he had to go through several interviews, the last being a one-to-one interview with a colonel from the US Defense Attache's office.

"Luckily he didn t ask me anything too difficult," said CPT Ingkiriwang, laughing. "I treated him like a friend and we chatted openly."

There were only two cadets left at the last round of interviews. So what gave CPT Ingkiriwang the edge over the other cadet?

"I knew what I wanted and I had strong beliefs and principles like integrity, hard work and the right attitude," he said.

According to CPT Ingkiriwang, his most memorable moment at USAFA was his graduation day when he threw his parade cap into the air.

"Shaking US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld's hand and hearing 'Class of 2006, you are dismissed' with the thunderous roar of six F-16 Thunderbirds flying past at the same time was astounding." But he admitted that his four years there were tough. Missing his family and local food aside, "the studies and academics were tough, which we had to balance with our military duties," he said.

"Like staying in a hostel in the university where you have to participate in hall activities, we had to organise training and activities for the platoons or squadrons that we were leading."

The course started with 1300 cadets but only 879 graduated four years later. What was his motivation then?

"The last year was really pressurising, but I just told myself to do what I could. There was also the pride of representing my country and I had to be a good role model for my juniors."