“TIGER MUM” IN RSAF’S 203 SQN
ME4 Lucy Apparajoo may not be blood-related to those under her charge, but she’s forged close bonds with them through her care and compassion.//STORY BY NICOLE YONG /PHOTOS BY CHAI SIAN LIANG, LOH YU ZE & COURTESY OF INTERVIEWEES
Parents, teachers or mentors – we often look up to different people at various stages in life.
For many Full-time National Servicemen (NSFs) and Regulars at 203 Squadron (SQN), it is 58-year-old Military Expert (ME) 4 Lucy Apparajoo.
Known as a motherly figure in the squadron, this Command Chief strikes the right balance of kindness and tough love, getting others to open up their heart to her.
Overseeing a large squadron
ME4 Apparajoo has been the Command Chief of 203 SQN – which manages Singapore’s airspace and provides inflight control for the RSAF’s operations – since 2022.
Apart from being involved in day-to-day operations, she looks into the safety as well as regimentation and discipline of over 100 personnel. These include Air Operations & Systems Experts, Air Operations Specialists, and Air Warfare Officers.
ME4 Apparajoo doesn’t let the size of her team intimidate her. A paracounseller since 2013, she constantly checks in with them – whether they are operating in base or at other locations – to ensure that they are doing well.
“The feedback that my NSFs and Regulars have always given me is that they know I’m a very tough person in terms of discipline. But at the end of the day, they see how much I care for them and value their inputs.
“When they look back, they realise that they’ve grown to become a better person. That makes me very happy. These are the memories that I’ll always keep with me,” she fondly recalled.
To Corporal (CPL) Mark Lee Jun Kai, a 20-year-old Signal Specialist in 203 SQN, ME4 Apparajoo is “someone who really tries to go beyond what her duty entails”.
“I remember her trying to get to know everyone in the squadron personally – including my batch mates and I – and this is a difficult task because the squadron is very big.”
Being a “tiger mum”
“I’m a tiger mum – it’s a lot of tough love,” ME4 Apparajoo said with a laugh as she described the type of mother figure she has become to them.
“Where work is concerned, I am very strict. But they also know that I can ‘come down’ to be very caring and take care of their welfare.”
To bridge the wide age gap between her and the younger generation in her team, she takes up many courses and is now a neuro-linguistic programming practitioner, often using these skills to reach out to them.
When asked if they joke around with each other often, ME4 Apparajoo teasingly exclaimed: “You give them an inch, they ask for a yard! Once they are comfortable with me, they can get very naughty.”
As a mother of two sons (who are aged 33 and 29 this year), ME4 Apparajoo sees many similarities between raising her boys and guiding those under her charge.
“I always tell my guys that they are like my children – because anything that happens to them, I am responsible for it.
“Whenever I scold them or instruct them about certain things, I will always explain the reason for it. I do these things because I care for them. Care and love come with discipline as well.”
Signal Specialist 3rd Sergeant (3SG) Vedant Bahadur, 20, can certainly attest to this. “ME4 Apparajoo is always there to give us support and make the tough decisions that we may not like in the moment.
“But after reflecting, we know that it was the right call and we trust her guidance.
“I think the next batch of NSFs would be very lucky to have her!”
What is this "tiger mum" really like? We ask 203 SQN to find out!
