My interest in history during my Secondary and Junior College years really spurred my decision to join the military. Through this interest, I came to realise that any kind of war, of any magnitude, is terrible. In addition, Singapore’s geographical location, as well as its lack of natural resources, meant that we could be vulnerable to aggressors if we do not have a strong military to deter aggressors and defend our homeland and way of life. I wanted to be part of something bigger than myself, and do my part to keep my loved ones safe while preserving our way of life, which I hold dear. As I knew that the RSAF was heavily involved in defending Singapore’s skies and is Singapore’s first line of defence, I signed on with the RSAF right after junior college as an Air Warfare Officer (Air Battle Management). My role in the RSAF is to watch over Singapore’s skies, give our pilots a comprehensive air picture, and direct RSAF aircraft for air combat missions against potential air threats. It requires me to be vigilant, prioritise tasks in a complex and fluid environment, and to respond decisively in order to protect Singapore’s skies. After commissioning, I had the privilege to attend the prestigious United States Air Force Academy (USAFA) to further my tertiary studies.

USAFA is one of five US military academies (West Point, Naval Academy, USAFA, Coast Guard Academy, Merchant Marine Academy). Individuals who gain acceptance into USAFA take on the rank of “cadet” and undergo stringent military training over the course of four years while juggling academics and athletics activities. Cadets graduate with a Bachelor of Science degree, and are commissioned into the US Air Force or US Space Force. I submitted my application to USAFA under the encouragement of my uncle, who is an F-16 pilot in the RSAF. As an international student, I had to be recommended by my commanders and go through about three rounds of interviews in order to get nominated by Singapore. After which, I had to go through the USAF selection criteria, as well as a series of interviews with the US Defence Attaché in Singapore, before I was offered a place. Only about 15 international students are admitted each year. I am very honoured and humbled that I was trusted with the opportunity to represent not just the SAF and Singapore, but also the female population at large.

Such military academies produce a very elite corps of individuals and commissioned officers for the military, who will dedicate their lives to serving their country. It is not merely an academic college programme, but also incorporates many aspects of professional military training over the four years, including a dedicated focus on character building and leadership training, an understanding of the rules and regulations within the military to maintain good order and discipline, as well as the provision of invaluable opportunities that exposes you to Air Force operations like flying planes and gliders, launching satellites into space, solo free fall jumps out of planes, and more. In the four years I spent at the academy, I had to take a breadth of core classes like astronautical engineering, chemistry, economics, electrical engineering, history, and political science, among others. I decided to major in behavioural sciences with a focus in sociology as I was especially interested in the topics and classes offered.

One experience that was new and unique to me was definitely earning my U.S. Jump Wings after completing five free fall jumps over the course of my Fall semester senior year. The countless route marches I did while back in the SAF during BMT definitely gave me an edge in my US Jump Wings experience in terms of mental resilience and not giving up even when I was afraid, tired, and unsure. Instead, I was able muster my courage to make the conscious decision to jump out of a plane five times by myself, which definitely served to build my confidence and courage while relying on my training to make decisions even in unpredictable weather conditions. While this may seem like an individual activity, teamwork was extremely crucial in every step of our preparation and training in order to eventually earn my US Jump Wings.

It was an extremely eye opening and rewarding experience to have been in both academic and military training environments with my US and international counterparts. I was able to learn from not just my peers in the US military, but also other international cadets from Georgia, Japan, Macedonia and more. The relationships I formed as well as my exposure to multiple cultures, values and way of life were pivotal in anchoring my understanding on how different societies behave, which would aid greatly in future joint operations between militaries.

Of course, I experienced many setbacks and challenges during my time at the academy. The programme structure was rigorous, and we were expected to balance academic demands as well as keep ourselves in tip-top condition physically. I also had to manage other responsibilities from my various leadership positions in the Academy. For example, I was appointed Group Director of Operations where I was in charge of 1000 cadets across all four classes. It was also not easy being away from my family and friends for four years in an unfamiliar culture and environment, and I also felt immense pressure to fly Singapore's flag high during my time there.

My training in the SAF definitely helped me during my stint at USAFA, as it taught me time management skills, how to pay attention to details, and to always prioritise the needs of my people above my own. This enabled me to excel in the leadership positions I undertook as I was able to fulfil the duties and responsibilities required of me while still ensuring that I was on track in my own academic, physical, and military duties. I also really relied on the support, encouragement, and love given to me from my family, friends, and SAF commanders back home, as well as my sponsor family, USAF friends, peers, and USAF commanders to get me through the tough times. The strong lifelong friendships formed at USAFA, as well as the generosity from my US sponsor family, gave me much comfort in a challenging and unfamiliar environment, and the necessary foundation to excel at the USAFA. The challenges shaped my character, and the opportunity to just be able to represent Singapore in an overseas military academy, and donning the Singapore flag on my uniform, makes it worth every single sacrifice.

Through it all, I knew that I wanted to be the best version of myself at all times, and to achieve as much as I could, so that I will not disappoint the people who supported me, and placed their faith and trust in my abilities to do well. So, I was honoured to be able to achieve Distinguished Graduate of my graduating class at the end of my stint at USAFA, which was a goal that I had been striving toward since my freshman year. In my opinion, this is not just a personal recognition because everyone – my family, friends, and both RSAF and USAF commanders – supported me throughout the journey and played a significant role in helping me get to where I am currently. I brought the Singapore flag to the graduation ceremony to honour my country for giving me this opportunity to represent Singapore, as well as to show how proud I am to be a Singaporean international cadet at USAFA over the last four years. As they were honouring the international cadets during the ceremony, I was overwhelmed by emotions, and wanted to show the world the Singapore flag, which caused me to stand up on the chair while waving the flag proudly. I nearly cried with tears of pride, joy, and gratefulness as it was four years of blood, sweat, and tears leading up to that very moment when I could honour Singapore publicly on the world stage, and show every single person watching the ceremony broadcast what our little red dot is capable of.

As I begin a new chapter of my career, I hope to utilise my skills, leadership, and knowledge gained over the past years to better lead the airmen and women under my wings and protect the sovereignty of our nation. I am excited to wear the uniform that I belong in and continue to serve the nation. I will definitely do my absolute best to contribute back to the organisation and nation for all the opportunities that was given to me.