JOINING THE SAF OFFICER FAMILY

With two fighter pilots in the family, Officer Cadet (OCT) Lenz Lim wanted to join his father and brother in the skies as a pilot. But a rare eye condition discovered during Basic Military Training (BMT) told him he was not destined to fly.

"I felt very down at the time. My entire life ambition was to become a fighter pilot and defend the skies alongside my father and brother," said OCT Lim.

He eventually picked himself up. "It's not something I can control, so I just tried my best in BMT. Life doesn't stop there," he said. He eventually made it to the Officer Cadet School to join his fighter pilot kin in another way, as a Ground-Based Air Defence (GBAD) Officer.

"It's different from flying but we're also protecting the skies," said the 21-year-old.

On 19 Jul, OCT Lim was commissioned as an Officer in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF). He received the Sword of Honour, Best Trainee and Best in Knowledge awards. "I was brought up to do my best and I'm confident that my training has prepared me to handle what comes in the future.

Speaking at the Officer Cadet Course (OCC) Commissioning Parade held at the SAFTI Military Institute, Deputy Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs Teo Chee Hean said: "We count on our SAF officers to build an SAF that is stronger, smarter and more nimble than any adversary."

"Be prepared as leaders to stand by the pledge you are about to take before us all, your families and friends, to fight for our country, and to make the ultimate sacrifice for our people and our country in the line of duty."

In his speech, Mr Teo quoted the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew's words to the first batch of officers who received their commissions 48 years ago: "May the trust which the people of Singapore have placed in you be jealously guarded. May our peoples' honour and freedom never be in jeopardy in your young but competent hands."

Those words were not lost on Midshipman (MID) Vivian Ng, who said: "To be an officer is not just about wearing the rank, it's a responsibility and a role that is given, and it's just the start of the journey."

The 23-year-old, who read Literature at the National University of Singapore, signed on as a Regular in the SAF without telling her family. "She (my mum) didn t really approve because she wanted me to go try other jobs."

"Over the months, she saw how much I'd changed and grown. Then she was okay (with it)," said MID Ng, adding: "Going through OCS has changed me - I'm not so emotional and more organised."

She, too, has a relative in the SAF. Her uncle is a Regular serving in the Commando Formation as a Warrant Officer. He was the most logical and calm person; he was always the mediator in the family, said MID Ng.

"Having him around while growing up probably subconsciously inspired me to take the same path."

For OCT Ahmad Arif Bin Ibrahim, being an officer is about leading men, with the right values. "We have to make sure everything is done properly, and to make sure that everyone comes back safe."

Speaking on his experience in OCS, the 22-year-old said: "There were many times during the course when we were pushed to our limits."

"But with the help of our buddies by our side, we helped each other and took on the load of those who were struggling. After all, we are only as strong as the last man."

At the post-parade dinner, the second edition of "One of a Kind" a book that recounts the experiences of the first batch of officers and instructors during the first OCC was launched.

Said Colonel (COL) (Retired) Ramachandran Menon, who is a member of the book's editorial board "When we started SAFTI, we realised that there was no one keeping a historical record of what we were doing."

"So we thought: 'well, maybe we owed it to Singapore to provide a record of what we went through," said COL (Ret) Menon, when asked what sparked off the idea for the book which was first published in 2007.

The second edition has added sections which talk about the preparatory training that some of the instructors went through before they started training us at SAFTI, said COL (Ret) Menon.

"Its's a vastly improved version which will be a good reference for our future generations."