READY TO LEAD

Five hundred and thirty men stood on the parade ground, the shine of their boots matched only by the glisten of perspiration on their faces. Standing proud, these 411 Army, 48 Navy and 71 Air Force Officer Cadets (OCTs) were about to become officers and leaders of men.

At the officer commissioning parade held at SAFTI Military Institute on 13 Jun, they were presented their officer rank epaulettes by Senior Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security, Professor S. Jayakumar, marking the end of 38 weeks of rigorous training.

Reminding the graduands of their responsibilities as he reviewed the parade, Prof Jayakumar said: "You are entrusted with the duty of leading the men and women under your charge when called upon, to defend the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Singapore and to preserve the peace and security that is important to us and Singapore."

For Officer Cadet (OCT) Sanatana S/o Veerayan, winner of the prestigious Sword of Honour (Air Force), the commissioning parade was a proud moment to savour, a "culmination of nine months of hard work".

"It is here that our leadership skills were honed and tested. The course has given me the confidence to lead my men well," said the 22-year-old, who has signed on with the Air Force as a Weapons Systems Officer in Air Defence Artillery (ADA).

"The course is not only for military knowledge. It builds up our confidence, leadership and management skills," echoed OCT Mohammad Firdaus. He will soon join the SAF as an infantry officer.

Even though he joined the course mid-way, OCT Andrew Ong did not feel in the least out of place. "They were very welcoming and I learnt a lot from them. We bonded as we trained together and endured the toughest training, and are now firm friends," said OCT Ong from the Commandos, who received the Silver Bayonet award for his good performance in the Infantry officers' course.

For OCTs Pattara Zhoujareantrakoon and Michael Vandol, they had already known each other before the officer cadet course. They were introduced by mutual friends three years ago when OCT Vandol holidayed in Bangkok, Thailand. OCT Pattara is a regular of Royal Thai Armed Forces.

The past nine months at Officer Cadet School (OCS) have further cemented their friendship.

"The friendships that I have forged here over the past few months are unforgettable. Together, we surmounted seemingly impossible tasks," OCT Pattara told cyberpioneer.

"My experience in OCS has given me the confidence to lead my men competently when I return to Thailand."

As they left OCS for their future appointments, Prof Jayakumar told the OCTs: "Always remember what you have been trained to do - to lead, to excel, to overcome... Lead by example and earn the respect of the men and women under your command."

This is something they will surely strive to do.

OCT Firdaus, who will be a platoon commander in the 3rd Singapore Infantry Regiment, is already looking to lead by example. "I hope to make a positive difference to my men's lives by being not only a commander to them, but a friend and a good officer," he said.

13 Jun 09 - 530 Commissioned as SAF Officers
13 Jun 09 - Speech by Prof S Jayakumar, Senior Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security, at 73/08 Commissioning Parade
13 Jun 09 - News Video: 530 Commissioned as SAF Officers