TOP OF THE CLASS

The first-ever foreigner to emerge top of his class in the prestigious United States Naval Academy (USNA), Captain (CPT) Sam Tan tells PIONEER about juggling academic studies and military training.

Imagine studying in an air-conditioned classroom for one moment and the next, doing push-ups and marching drills out in the open sun. That was the life CPT Tan led throughout his four years at the USNA.

"We had a really packed schedule that we had to adhere to strictly. There were mandatory study periods, classes, parades, military training and so on. Hence, there was a need for good time management and prioritisation," said CPT Tan, who graduated from the USNA with a Bachelor of Science degree in Ocean Systems Engineering in May.

He enlisted in January 2007 and signed on as a Regular in March 2007. He was awarded the Singapore Armed Forces Merit Scholarship and began his studies in the USNA in 2008 after graduating from Officer Cadet School (OCS) in the same year.

Life in a military academy

Although CPT Tan had already completed his officer course and was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant before joining the USNA, he began life in the academy as a fourth-class midshipman, otherwise known as a plebe.

"It was like Basic Military Training all over again," said CPT Tan. "The first year is meant to indoctrinate Americans into military life as most of them had just graduated from high school and had no clue what the military is all about."

Academics-wise, the USNA functions just like a normal university: students get to interact with professors, study in libraries and are given academic assignments.

The military training, on the other hand, is very different. Students have to live and train together as a brigade in their dormitory, known as the Bancroft Hall. The training is conducted by senior students.

"As we progressed, we were given more leadership opportunities to take charge of planning and executing the training of our juniors. There was also more flexibility as we were able to modify our training to cater to the different needs and learning habits of our juniors."

Given its status as a military academy, discipline was especially emphasised in the USNA. Even minor offences, such as an untidy room, would warrant a punishment in the form of Tours, where students had to hold a rifle and march for one hour early in the morning.

Despite the regimentation, CPT Tan did not have trouble settling into life there as his American peers treated him like family and even invited him over during holidays such as Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Training with elites

Admission into the USNA is extremely competitive as fewer than 10 percent of applicants are admitted, and foreign cadets constitute only one percent of the student population, thus making CPT Tan's top honours achievement all the more impressive.

Yet CPT Tan humbly said: "My results are not by my own merit. I have seniors, who were past Singaporean graduates of the USNA, who provided me with a lot of guidance and advice. Furthermore, my training in OCS prepared me well for the programme in USNA."

Besides being the first foreign cadet to top the USNA class, CPT Tan was the first foreigner to take on the role as brigade adjutant. In that appointment, he commanded parades as welcome ceremonies for guests of honour such as US Commandant of the Marine Corps General James Amos. He was also in charge of the administrative duties of 4,400 cadets, which is about the size of the entire Republic of Singapore Navy.

Nonetheless, he conceded that not all four years were smooth sailing. His American counterparts were fitter and much more athletic, and he initially had difficulties keeping up with his peers in that aspect. However, he felt that training with the best and the brightest motivated him to work even harder.

Passion for the Navy

Besides his training in OCS and guidance from his seniors, CPT Tan's passion for the Navy was another factor he attributed his exceptional performance in the USNA to. On what attracted him to join the Navy, he said: "One big difference (from the Army and Air Force) is the concept of living together on a ship. When you're out in the ocean, the only people that you can depend on are your shipmates, and hence you form a stronger camaraderie with them."

He then recalled a memorable incident during a summer training. "I was sailing on a 40-foot sailboat in a two-week race from Massachusetts to Bermuda. One night, a storm hit us unexpectedly and I was hanging on for dear life while trying to do a sail change with my shipmates to prevent the ship from toppling over, and that strengthened our bonds tremendously."

To sum up his experiences at the academy, CPT Tan quoted one of his seniors: "No matter what your grades are, as long as you have good character, you would still be able to convince your men and be a great leader." This quote now serves as one of his key principles.

CPT Tan is currently attached to frigate RSS Intrepid where he is learning the ropes of ship operations.

"No matter what your grades are, as long as you have good character, you would still be able to convince your men and be a great leader."

- A quote from one of his seniors at USNA which inspires CPT Tan