NS55: 9 Div NS Buddies

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NS55: 9 Div NS Buddies

“Ace sets the pace!” The 2nd Singapore Infantry Brigade (2 SIB) motto resounded in the hallway as Lieutenant Colonel (LTC) (NS) Toh Ghee Chuan and Major (MAJ) (NS) James Lee shouted it with great pride with their unit. They started serving our nation together as NS comrades in 2005 in the 9th Division (9 Div). Dedicated to defending Singapore, these two buddies have extended their National Service multiple times through the Reservist on Voluntary Extended Reserve Service (ROVERS) scheme. Read on as we dive deeper into what makes our buddies tick!

 

Q1) How did you meet your buddy?

LTC (NS) Ghee Chuan: James and I were actually from different Officer Cadet School (OCS) batches and served in different units during our active days. I first met him during 732 SIR’s first In-Camp Training (ICT) back in 2005. James was the only officer from Charlie Company (Coy) who was with the unit during their active days while the rest of the Platoon Commanders (PC) were newly posted in. He gave the new guys a lot of help during the first couple of ICTs and helped bring us up to speed for the NS journey ahead.

MAJ (NS) James: Ghee Chuan and I met at the first ICT as fellow Platoon Commanders (PC) of Charlie Coy. I remember that we were both like-minded in our thinking and interests. The nights off and canteen breaks during our ICT solidified that relationship.
 

 

 

MAJ (NS) James (1st from left) and LTC (NS) Ghee Chuan (front) during their 3rd ICT in 2007, where they were introduced to the SAR-21, the current service rifle of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF).

 

Q2) How did both of you grow closer as friends?

LTC (NS) Ghee Chuan: As Platoon Commanders, our platoons frequently supported each other for operations, so there was naturally a lot of discussion on mission planning and how to execute the operations. Overtime, we grew closer and had a natural mutual understanding. The other thing was when it came to courses and call-ups that were voluntary; James and I are usually the ‘crazy’ ones who will say yes. (laughs)

MAJ (NS) James: As fellow officers of Charlie Coy, we often had to support each other, so naturally the bond strengthened from there. Outside of NS, the Charlie Officers and I often meet up for ‘kopi’ or dinner even till this day, so our relationship naturally grew from our shared experiences.

 

 

MAJ (NS) James (4th from right) and LTC (NS) Ghee Chuan (5th from right), both Lieutenants (LTA) at the time, attending their NS Officer Commanding’s (OC) wedding as sword-bearers - 2012

 

Q3) What are some meaningful experiences you have gone through with your buddy?

LTC (NS) Ghee Chuan: One thing that comes to mind is the Combat Skills Badge (CSB) Course, which is not commonly made available to NSmen. During the 9th ICT, James and I were given the green light to pursue the CSB together with some of our unit mates. It was quite tough as we had to fit in quite a few extra training sessions on top of our ICT schedule. We still talk about this every now and then and look back with fond memories. 

MAJ (NS) James: Similarly, my personal highlight would be the CSB course because only a few NSmen were accepted for the course. There was a series of progressive training sessions we had to undergo, like a navigation course, progressive 4km, 8km, 16km route marches, technical handling courses etc, so that is something that elicits fond memories.

 

Then-Captain (CPT) (NS) James and LTA (NS) Ghee Chuan with 732nd Battalion, Singapore Infantry Regiment (732 SIR) NSmen at the completion of their 32km combat march of the Combat Skills Badge (CSB) course. With then-Brigade Commander, Colonel (COL) David Neo.

 

Q4) How does your strong sense of brotherhood together make you stronger as a team or enrich your experiences during training?

LTC (NS) Ghee Chuan: When we ROVERS-ed in 2 SIB, James was the Intelligence Officer and I was the Operations Officer. During our Brigade Baseline Competency Training (BCT), we always have side discussions on our plans to make sure everything gels. This working relationship is something I really can’t find elsewhere, we just have that mutual understanding where sometimes we don’t even need to talk to echo our thoughts. He can just give me a look and I will immediately understand.  

MAJ (NS) James: I think shared brotherhood definitely makes teamwork stronger since I know how Ghee Chuan thinks, so when I was the Intelligence Officer and when he was the Operations Officer, we had this chemistry that helped make our planning more robust.

 

Goh Keng Swee Command and Staff College (GKS CSC) opening, then-CPT (NS) Ghee Chuan and then-CPT (NS) James with then-Brigade Commander COL David Neo - 2015

 

Q5) What do you personally hope to achieve during your NS journey?

LTC (NS) Ghee Chuan: All the experiences during my NS journey have definitely made me a better person, both on a personal and professional level. I am grateful to the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) for the opportunities given, and I will continue to serve as long as I feel I can still make meaningful contributions to the organisation.  

MAJ (NS) James: I think I will continue to serve as long as I can contribute to the organisation. I don't think there's really an achievement or a recognition for all this, since this is for a greater cause. I only hope that the Army values my contributions and that this can help the next generation’s army.

 

MAJ (NS) James and LTC (NS) Ghee Chuan, together with other Charlie Company officers at a local eatery - 2019

 


✍🏻: LCP Satish (Army News)
📷: Contributed by LTC (NS) Ghee Chuan and MAJ (NS) James; cover image by LCP Isaac Wong (Army News)