1,206 SPECIALISTS TRAINED

He had never won any awards in school, until now. For Specialist Cadet (SCT) Vester Ng, who has dyslexia, receiving one of the Golden Bayonet awards was an unforgettable "first".

Despite his condition, SCT Ng didn't drag his feet enlisting for National Service. "I took this as another learning opportunity and told myself to make the best of it," said SCT Ng, who is trained as a weapon systems specialist. He will join the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) frigate RSS Tenacious.

His instructors also helped him out by giving him more attention when it came to theory lessons. "They didn't penalise me too much for spelling errors and my batch mates always helped me out when it came to writing," said SCT Ng.

Recalling the times that he stayed up with his course mates to revise materials for upcoming tests, he said: "I will always remember the bonds and friendships that we formed here."

Of the 1,206 graduands at the Specialist Cadet Graduation Parade held at Pasir Laba Camp on 26 May, 1,091 were from the Army, 68 from the RSN and 47 from the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF). Speaking to the new specialists, Chief of Defence Force Major-General (MG) Perry Lim said: "As leaders, you will need to give your soldiers confidence in what they do."

"You must be prepared to do what you expect your men and women to do, and achieve the standards that you have set for them."

During his address, MG Lim emphasised the role that Specialists play in securing Singapore's continued success. "It is important to have strong leadership across all ranks in the SAF. Not just at the highest echelon, but among the junior ranks, and this includes each and every one of you."

His words were not lost on SCT Muhammad Ihsan Ruzani bin Mohammad Swandi. "During the course, I learnt that a good leader also has to know when to be a good follower."

That he learnt from his Platoon Commander, 2nd Warrant Officer Glen Tan. "He's not infantry-trained but seeing him lead us, listen to us and, at times, learn from us, was very inspiring."

"He would tell us that you learn and grow faster by listening to your peers, rather than to lead from the top (and only expect others to follow commands)."

When asked which part of the course he would remember, SCT Ihsan recalled a three-day navigation exercise that his cohort went through in Thailand. "It was about 40-degree weather and there were many times we just wanted to quit."

"But we pushed each other and made it through. I learnt a lot of things in that time; the importance of teamwork and support of your peers that is necessary to lead an infantry section."

As one of the top performers in the course, SCT Ihsan received a Golden Bayonet award. "I think what set me apart was my spirit to learn. I was constantly hungry to learn more about how to lead an infantry section."

For SCT Marcus Goh, from the RSAF, serving NS brought him closer to his parents who are both former SAF Regulars. "I was their constant update on what was going on in the SAF," said SCT Goh.

"They would always ask me questions on the equipment I was using or what kind of training I was undergoing." His father was a Specialist in the Signals Formation and his mother was a Supply Specialist in the Army.

Like SCT Ng and SCT Ihsan, SCT Goh is a Golden Bayonet award recipient. "I will forever remember the times we spent at SCS, training together and doing almost everything together."

He will head to the 18th Divisional Air Defence Artillery Battalion to lead a section in operating the Mechanised IGLA Ground Based Air Defence system.