GROWING STRONGER TO GRADUATE AS OFFICERS

At first glance, 2nd Lieutenant (2LT) Khaireen Bin Misrawi appears no different from any other Singaporean boy going through National Service (NS).

What many don’t know is that the 24-year-old used to be a frail child who often suffered from fevers and a weak stomach, and would struggle just to go to school.

Feeling left out among his peers, he struggled to create strong friendships throughout primary to secondary school.

His constitution became stronger over the years, and when he entered Basic Military Training (BMT) in 2023, he did so well he was selected for Officer Cadet School (OCS).

Failing once, but trying again

Unfortunately, bad luck struck in March 2024 during an overseas exercise, when he landed incorrectly during training and sprained his wrist badly.

He was unable to feel his index and middle finger due to the inflammation and compression of his nerves, and eventually decided to drop out of the course.

The disappointment he felt was immense. “Seeing my friends commission without me on the parade square, with their parents fixing their ranks on them, made me really heartbroken.” 

He had already missed out on many school experiences during his childhood, and now he was going to miss out on a big NS milestone too.

Determined to finish what he had started, 2LT Khaireen made the decision to re-course.

“It felt like such a waste to leave it (my Officer Cadet Course) unaccomplished. I really wanted to make my parents proud and prove to myself that I can finish it. I didn’t want to let one failure stop me,” said 2LT Khaireen.

After recovering from his injury, he joined OCS again in September 2024.

He also agreed to a Voluntary Extension of Service (VES) to serve at least 6 months as a commissioned officer. This extension is to ensure that he is able to complete the re-course and serve the minimum required duration as an officer during his service.

One of the toughest experiences he faced during OCS was as an exercise Platoon Commander during his Summary Exercise.

“I was challenged with balancing the platoon’s fatigue level, keeping my focus, evacuating casualties and leading the platoon to our objective. I had to help my OC in planning for the mission, so we constantly stayed up late to complete the planning.”

Despite the stress, they achieved their mission, and one key lesson that he learnt was “to have pride in whatever we do”.

“No matter how menial the task is, we need to ensure that we do it well,” he noted.  

His determination and hard work have paid off. On 15 Mar, 2LT Khaireen received the Sword of Honour – an award given only to the top of the cohort – at a commissioning parade held at SAFTI Military Institute.

Also among the 214 graduands that evening was naval officer 2LT Timo Rui Jie Van Meurs.

Growing up, he frequently received questions about his unique name from people that he met for the first time.

But the 20-year-old Dutch-Chinese – who was born and raised in the Little Red Dot – doesn’t view these comments as a barrier to making friends.

Speaking Singlish comes as second nature to him, and his common experiences growing up in Singapore and attending local schools allowed him to create strong bonds with those around him.

Taking on new challenges

Nobody in his family had gone through NS before, so when 2LT Van Meurs enlisted into BMT on 1 Apr 2024, he wasn’t sure at first what to expect.

Luckily, his family were there for him every step of the way, and he managed to make new friends too.

“I am very grateful that my BMT section mates were welcoming and treated me like family. During our 16km route march, my parents and two sisters went down to East Coast Park to cheer me on. They even created handmade signs for me, which was very touching.

“My parents also made sure to attend every event possible – from sending me off at the airport for my Midshipman Sea Training Deployment (MSTD) to receiving me when we returned to Singapore at Changi Naval Base,” he fondly recalled.

In OCS, he was shortlisted to join the Navy family. “I was very excited at the prospect of sailing as part of my NS! It’s an opportunity that not many NSFs (Full-time National Servicemen) have, so I felt very honoured.”

2LT Van Meurs was motivated to become an officer for two reasons: to make a difference to the lives of the men that he would work with, and to make his parents proud.

Having commissioned after nine months of rigorous training, he’s looking forward to taking on an Operational and Staff role at Changi Defence Squadron, where he was posted to during his internship term in OCS.

He wants to continue assisting the squadron in seaward defence operations as well as the training of future midshipmen.

“I hope to effectively make an impact on the men I work with, and contribute to the work that we do!”