2LT A Guhanavel S/O Ashok Kumar became an officer despite starting with zero leadership experience and fitness.

When 2nd Lieutenant (2LT) Steve Chia enlisted for National Service (NS) and started Basic Military Training (BMT) last January, he had a lot on his mind.

She was living it up as a cabin crew – looking her best and flying to different destinations every day.

Inspired by her father to join the military, LTA Deepa Syaama Arul has found her own calling in a different Service.

As an air stewardess at Scoot, Lieutenant (LTA) Cindy Loo used to work in the skies and travel to many different countries almost every day. However, she gave it all up in 2021 to pursue her aspirations of becoming a soldier.

The defence scholarship awards are a responsibility not for those lacking in resolve or steel in their characters, said defence minister Dr Ng Eng Hen.

Joining the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) was not an easy decision for Officer Cadet (OCT) Rajesh Muthu S/O Ramanathan. For one, he had to convince his family and friends that it was the right choice for him as a medical student.

2nd Lieutenant (2LT) Daniel Choo has big shoes to fill – his grandfather is Singapore's first defence chief and his dad, a top graduand from Officer Cadet School (OCS).

"If you want to challenge yourself, you should give OCS (Officer Cadet School) a shot."

Enlisting for National Service (NS) can be a daunting prospect for any young man. For 2nd Lieutenant (2LT) Wescott Lee Rui Zhang, it was even tougher as he had spent most of his childhood and teenage years living abroad in Canada and New Zealand.

Being the older sibling often means having to set an example and paving the way for the younger ones to follow. For most people, it's the usual things like doing well in school, nailing that first job or getting your driving license on the first try.

All their hard work in the past nine months paid off as 2LT Shafiq and 2LT Jasmine Ong graduated as newly commissioned officers on 9 Dec.