MY BUDDY, MY BESTIE, MY TWIN
//Story by THRINA THAM //Photos by AMOS CHEW & COURTESY OF ME4 ASHLEYNA AND ME4 ANGELINA
Talk about a telepathic bond. This pair of twins don't just look alike and have similar-sounding names, they were even pregnant at the same time!
In fact, ME4 Ashleyna Foo and ME4 Angelina Foo's four-year-old sons were born just 12 days apart. ME4 Angelina also has a younger son who is 18 months old.
"We meet up every weekend to hike or gym together, so the boys are very close," said ME4 Ashleyna.
The twins enlisted in the Republic of Singapore Air Force in 2009 under the Joint Polytechnic Scheme. In 2012, they were emplaced to the Senior Military Domain Expert Scheme and pursued a Masters in Avionics, living and studying in the United Kingdom for four years together.
Now, ME4 Ashleyna – the older twin by three minutes – serves as a Unit Safety Officer/Officer-In-Charge in 801 SQN, taking care of the generation of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles there.
Meanwhile, ME4 Angelina is an Officer Commanding at 110 SQN, overseeing the electronic warfare systems of RSAF assets.
Despite their separate job postings, the sisters, 34, remain close as ever. When one needs help, the other is just a phone call away.
What's the best thing about having your twin in the Air Force?
Angel: We've experienced different things at different times – I went to base first (as an Officer-in-Charge at 817 SQN) while she was a Staff Officer at the Air Engineering & Logistics Department.
So, when it was her turn to go to base, she would call me and ask about my experiences. When I had manpower-related questions as a Staff Officer, I would also seek her advice.
Ashley: When I went for the Exercise Forging Sabre detachment in 2019, I needed to check on something I could not access on the office intranet. I would just call home and say, "Eh, can you check this for me" and I would get the information.
Angel: Yeah, when you trouble others you would feel paiseh (embarrassed) but if it's your own sister, not really. Any time of the day you'd just call, even with the time difference.
You went through Basic Military Training (BMT) together as well back in 2011. What was that like?
Angel: The whole experience was a lot easier because we knew we had each other. We were actually buddies; during route march we would stand side-by-side and encourage each other.
Ashley: Angel also had an issue with her knee (due to a prior dislocation) and after the first two to three weeks of BMT, her knee started acting up again. She would feel bad if she needed to rely on someone else but because she's my sister, I knew what she was going through, so I would naturally help her.
What is something your twin does better than you?
Angel: Ashley was always more academic. Throughout our entire university studies, she tutored me a lot.
Ashley: Angel is more creative and more sociable. She's the one who arranges meet ups with friends and I would happily tag along.
Angel: In poly, we were in different classes but she would still tag along with my friends.
*Both chuckle*
Ashley: In that sense, we complement each other.
You said some squadron mates have you mixed up when they encounter the other in the airbase. What about your children – do they ever mix you up?
Angel: No, they don't. But when one is not around, the kids do seek comfort in the other. For example, Ashley knows my younger son's routine, so if I'm too busy giving attention to my older boy, she knows when it was time to give him milk.
But they can tell us apart, even in photos. If I showed my son our photo and asked, "Is this one Mummy? He would rightly say, "This one is Yi Yi (Aunty), not Mummy!" *laughs*
