Minister of State, Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth & Ministry of Trade and Industry, Mr Alvin Tan inspected the 59th Specialist Cadet Graduation Parade at Pasir Laba Camp this evening. A total of 877 Specialist Cadet Trainees (SCTs) and Military Expert Trainees (ME1Ts), comprising 704 from the Singapore Army, 30 from the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN), 65 from the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF), and 78 from the Digital and Intelligence Service (DIS), graduated as Specialists and Military Experts of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF).

Addressing the graduands at the parade, Mr Tan emphasised the importance of leadership to rally and inspire people to navigate complexities and challenges, and the need for Specialists and Military Experts of the SAF to remain agile and adaptive to the ever-changing landscape in their leadership journey. He said, “As newly minted leaders in the SAF, we expect you to stand at the forefront of change and lead your teams through these uncertain times. You will face challenges beyond technical and specialist expertise that you have been trained for, especially in fostering camaraderie and developing a strong fighting spirit in your teams. I strongly encourage all of you to think innovatively and think beyond conventional boundaries and adapt your leadership styles to inspire the men and women that have been placed under your charge and under your stewardship.”

Mr Tan also thanked the graduands' families for their unwavering support during the course. He said, “Generations of SAF service personnel put in personal sacrifice and train hard… all of us that have served remember that it is our homes and families we are defending. And because we enjoy strong support from our loved ones, that is why we can undertake our NS duties. So, to all the families and loved ones present today, thank you for your unwavering support of our graduands. Your presence has been a crucial source of motivation and inspiration for every graduand here at Leaders Square.”

The graduation parade marked the completion of the 22-week Specialist Cadet Course for graduands from the Singapore Army, the RSN, the RSAF and the DIS, where they trained under rigorous and realistic conditions to sharpen their respective vocation expertise. The newly graduated Specialists and Military Experts will go on to assume command, training and staff appointments in the SAF. Present at the parade were senior SAF commanders, as well as families and friends of the graduands.