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Officer Cadet (OCT) Louisa Tan is someone who knows what she wants in life, and who is not afraid of making sacrifices to get there.
The 20-year-old remained undaunted when she did not make it through pilot selection. She decided that she still wanted to be an officer in the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF), albeit in another vocation.
It helped that she has a sister, who was working in the Ministry of Defence, explaining the more "exciting" aspects of national defence to her.
"I realised that there's actually a whole bunch of people working quietly and efficiently to ensure that our country is safe from threats," said OCT Tan.
Things hit a low for her towards the end of her course at the Officer Cadet School - her mother was dealing with cancer.
"At that point, I was questioning myself: should I be at home? Should I not have signed on? A bit of regret came on because my mother needed me and I wasn't there for her," she said.
"Then, after having gone through all this, I realised that I'm also doing this for my family - I'm here to protect them and my countrymen."
What fuels a person's drive to single-mindedly and unflinchingly chase a goal? OCT Tan said it all boils down to her decision to sign on in the first place.
"As long as I hold on to that aim… I’ll never leave this place, and the reason is simply that I’m Singaporean," she said.
And although her mother was unable to be at the commissioning parade, OCT Tan shared that just knowing she has done her proud has made all the difference.
OCT Tan's mother is in much better shape now, and her daughter is able to carry on with the journey of being an exemplary officer in the RSAF with no doubts and apprehensions.
She joined 555 other officer cadets, hailing from all three services of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), who were commissioned as officers at a parade held on 14 Jun.
This parade marked the end of 38 weeks of rigorous training, honing combat, planning and leadership skills.
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