TO LIVE THE CHILDHOOD DREAM

Dreams do come true, but only if we believe in them.

For 23-year-old Officer Cadet (OCT) Kelvin Tan, who has always wanted to be an officer in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), his boyhood aspiration was fulfilled on 12 Sep when he was commissioned together with 292 other cadets during the Officer Cadet Commissioning Parade at the SAFTI Military Institute.

"I am one of the happiest man on earth now because I have fulfilled my childhood dream," exclaimed a jubilant OCT Tan.

As the Sword of Honour (Air Defence Artillery) recipient reminisced about his days as a trainee at the Officer Cadet School (OCS), he shared with cyberpioneer how the course has "changed his life".

"The type of values, especially the SAF core values that we learn during our lessons here have actually taught me a lot on how to be a better leader and a better person," said OCT Tan, who will be heading to an air defence squadron in the Republic of Singapore Air Force as a fire control officer.

Sharing his sentiments was OCT Karthigesan S/o Serekumar, who felt that acquiring leadership skills was the most important lesson learned during his stint at OCS.

"It has taught me how to lead people effectively and I believe that with this attribute when I go and serve in my unit, I would be able to lead my men well," said the 21-year-old.

Indeed, in his address at the commissioning parade, reviewing officer, Minister for Transport and Second Minister for Foreign Affairs Raymond Lim, urged the graduands to "lead by example and earn the respect of the men and women under your command".

Like OCT Tan, OCT Karthigesan has been gearing up for a military career since he was a child.

"From a young age, I have been wanting to serve in the SAF - it was an ambition of mine and before I went into Basic Military Training, I made up my mind to sign on as an officer, so to actually make that dream come true is really a great satisfaction for me," he told cyberpioneer.

But earning their officer rank epaulettes was no easy feat.

The officer cadets had to undergo 38 weeks of intensive training where they honed their fitness, combat, planning and leadership capabilities.

"The first time I entered OCS, I was a very quiet person but after nine months, people could see the difference," explained fellow officer cadet, Muhammad Ayub Bin Mohd Sahari, 21, a Sword of Merit (Infantry) recipient who will be heading to 3rd Guards Battalion as a platoon commander.

"I became more outspoken because OCS makes a leader out of you."

Against the backdrop of the setting sun and amid the cheers of loved ones, the newly-minted officers reached for their peak caps, tossed them into the sky and jumped for joy in a fitting celebration of dreams come true.