FIRST FEMALE PARADE SERGEANT MAJOR AT NDP 2011

For Master Warrant Officer (MWO) Jennifer Tan, this year's National Day Parade (NDP) will be an interesting "weekend outing" with her three sons.

As the Parade Regimental Sergeant Major (RSM), MWO Tan, a Brigade Sergeant Major of the 4th Singapore Armour Brigade, is set to kick off the Parade and Ceremony sequence.

Her three sons, two of whom are serving their National Service, have volunteered to participate in the parade.

"My sons are really proud that I'm the Parade RSM, and they wanted to show their support and share in that pride during the parade," she said.

Speaking at a media brief held at the Float @ Marina Bay on 8 Jun, MWO Tan, who is the first female Parade RSM in NDP history, noted she was honoured to serve, and added that regardless of gender, whoever was appointed would do so with the same level of pride.

Comprising the Dynamic Defence Display and the parade proper, the Parade and Ceremony will showcase traditional favourites such as the State Flag fly-past, Feu-de-Joie and the Presidential 21-gun salute.

Audiences can also look forward to two new highlights during the parade segment - the "Majulah Moment" and the "Onward March".

The "Majulah Moment" comprises the receiving and raising of the state flag by representatives from selected schools' uniform groups. As the flag is raised, a Chinook and two Apache helicopters will execute the State Flag fly-past while the National Anthem plays.

The "Majulah Moment" will then culminate with five F15-SG fighter jets from the Republic of Singapore Air Force executing a salute to the nation.

"The receiving and raising of the state flag symbolizes the handing down of values from generation to generation," explained Senior Lieutenant-Colonel (SLTC) Chia Chien Wei, Chairman of the Parade & Ceremony committee.

Another exciting feature to look out for is the "Onward March", which will see five contingents from the Singapore Armed Forces and Home Team marching towards the seating galleries and into the midst of the NDP audiences.

This year, 29 contingents from the SAF, the Home Team and various uniform and civilian groups will be participating in the parade. There are nine civilian marching contingents, the highest number of civilian marching contingents ever assembled at the floating platform.

The contingents will take part in a two-kilometre City march along the Bay Front Avenue before gathering at the HelixBridge and the Marina Bay Sand's Waterfront Boardwalk, joining other Singaporeans at the floating platform and around the bay area for the Pledge Moment.

Said SLTC Chia: "We hope that Singaporeans who are watching will feel the same sense of pride, unity and national identity that the participants feel, and that it will make them reflect on the Singapore spirit."

Leading the parade is LTC Fahmi Aliman, a Branch Head in Headquarter Guards and honorary Aide-de-Camp to President S R Nathan.

His role requires him to give accurate and timely commands to the marching contingents, and he has been preparing for it since April this year.

"My greatest challenge is to give the correct commands and to project my voice so that the parade drills will be executed in a sharp and precise manner," he said.

To ensure that everything goes smoothly during the all-important day come 9 Aug, both LTC Fahmi and MWO Tan agreed that the most important thing is to motivate the parade participants and see them though the tough rehearsals.

"We have to make sure that everyone knows their specific roles and does what they need to do," said MWO Tan.

"And in order for them to take pride in their roles, you need to engage and interact with every single one of them as much as possible."