MENTOR & ROLE MODEL

Listening to Captain (CPT) Louis Lee and Officer Cadet (OCT) Gurumoorthy Ramesh describe each other, you’d think they were a trainer-trainee match made in heaven.

“He’s someone I want to be like,” said OCT Gurumoorthy. He looks up to the former as not only a teacher of technical skills, but also a mentor.

CPT Lee only has high praises for the 18-year-old, who is among his latest batch of graduates from the Air Warfare Officer course at Air Force Training Command (AFTC).

“Guru’s like one of those geniuses that you pray for (to be your trainee)… because it almost never happens!” he said with a laugh.

Desire to teach

When the opportunity arose to become an instructor at Air Force Training Command (AFTC) in mid-2024, CPT Lee did not hesitate to volunteer.

His passion for teaching began in secondary school when he joined the Boys’ Brigade.

The 33-year-old reminisced about being a big brother to his juniors, taking them for leadership and adventure camps, and seeing them go from fresh Secondary 1 students to confident Secondary 4 leaders.

“I enjoyed watching my boys grow up and becoming more mature… It brought me a lot of joy and meaning.”

In fact, he continued to volunteer as a Boys’ Brigade officer through his polytechnic and National Service (NS) days.

Even till today, seeing cadets grow to become competent and confident officers is what brings him great satisfaction.

“It’s the journey of seeing them light up in their eyes (as they get better and better).”

He recounts his own instructors, who taught him that the “best welfare we could give our soldiers is to prepare them with the best training”.

Finding one’s footing

OCT Gurumoorthy’s journey in OCS started off shakily. Fresh from Basic Military Training, the more competitive nature of officer training threw him off balance.

The 18-year-old recounted those early days filled with uncertainty and the fear of failure: “I was a blank piece of paper with words scattered all over.”

Through CPT Lee’s mentorship, he began to piece those words into a story, forming the foundation for his own leadership philosophy.

The cadet recalled CPT Lee’s words that allowed everything in his mind to click: “Though you may struggle with appointments, you must always strive to be a good officer.”

“His lessons showed me that officership is not about being perfect, but about holding true to your values, remaining approachable, and always striving to lead with integrity,” added OCT Gurumoorthy.

Giving his all for them

Conducting training sessions, performing operational air defence duties, marching as part of the contingents at this year’s SAF Day Parade and National Day Parade (NDP).

All this did not deter CPT Lee from going the extra mile for his students, putting in additional hours to help when needed.

Reflecting on the need to balance work and personal life, he said: “If you want to care for the needs of others, you got to take care of yourself too.”

OCT Gurumoorthy added that CPT Lee’s dedication has an unspoken effect on his students – they are driven to give their all, just as their trainer has done for them.

“How can we be subpar if CPT Lee is doing his best, right?”

Although CPT Lee has been at AFTC for about a year, the impact is already felt by both trainer and trainee.

“Guru was very playful during his Service term in OCS (before coming to AFTC)… Seeing him mature into a competent officer who can deploy the equipment and do his job well, I’m very proud.”

As OCT Gurumoorthy nears the end of his Pro term, he has found a shared love for teaching and helping others, just like CPT Lee.

“To me, CPT Lee is not only an instructor, but also a mentor who is shaping how we think as future officers.”