After a 22-week course, Specialist Cadet School (SCS) saw a new batch of 1,021 specialists from the 36/18 cohort graduating at Leader's Square, Pasir Laba Camp. This journey was tough, but everyone knew someone got their backs - their buddies. We interviewed three pairs of buddies to find out more about their SCS journey and through a quiz at the end of the interview, revealed how well the buddies know each other.

For 3SG Ho Rui En and 3SG Raajaswaran S/O Nanda Gopalan from the Military Police Command, the Anti-Riot training proved to be one of the most memorable aspects of their course. As the cadet platoon Warrant Officer for the training, 3SG Raajaswaran was faced with additional taskings but is thankful that 3SG Ho did regular checks on him, such as ensuring that he was well hydrated. As 3SG Raajaswaran shared, "When we are tired, we will give each other some words of encouragement. At the end of the day, I am very thankful for him as my buddy." 3SG Ho also remarked how 3SG Raajaswaran was a source of motivation for him during their time in SCS, "I am very appreciative of him. He is very helpful, and is a great influence on me." 

3SG Raajaswaran S/O Nanda Gopalan (left) and 3SG Ho Rui En (right)

For Infantry specialists 3SG Adrian Tan Kai Xi and 3SG Izaan Redza, their experience at SCS has brought them closer. As 3SG Tan recalled, "At the beginning, we barely knew each other. But after we became buddies, I realised that 3SG Izaan is very supportive in his actions, and I can always depend on him to help me out if needed." On the other hand, 3SG Izaan describes how his buddy was a great source of motivation, "Despite the many appointments that 3SG Tan held throughout these 22 weeks, he completed his tasks to the best of his ability without any complaints, and this inspired me to do my best as well." 3SG Izaan also added on, "Knowing that 3SG Tan is always there for me and that he is always willing to help out motivates me."

3SG Izaan Redza (left) and 3SG Adrian Tan Kai Xi (right)

For Artillery specialists 3SG Ho Kwok Yew and 3SG Lim Xin Hui, the journey was not smooth-sailing for them. 3SG Ho had a persisting knee injury during the Summary Exercise (Summex) but desired to carry on with the training. However, it was his buddy, 3SG Lim, that advised him to fall out to prevent further aggravating the knee injury. "I am very grateful that I have her as my buddy" 3SG Ho expressed, "we always look out for each other." Adding on, 3SG Lim described how she was inspired by 3SG Ho, saying "He is always the first to step up whenever we are tasked with many assignments and urge everyone to carry on."

3SG Ho Kwok Yew (left) and 3SG Lim Xin Hui (right)

As the interviews came to an end, we quizzed them to see how well they know their buddies after this 22-week course. Questions such as "What is your buddy most proficient at?" to "What is your buddy's beret size?" were asked. Impressively, all three pairs of buddies put up a commendable showing, with a majority of questions answered correctly despite the quiz being impromptu. It is evident that after this course, the buddies have forged strong bonds with each other.

As the saying goes, "If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together." Their support for each other has definitely helped them to pull through the course. The Singapore Army would like to congratulate the graduates and wish them all the best in their future endeavours.

With Pride, We Lead!

Written By: PTE Joel Tan
Photography By: CPL Brandon Kit