RSAF officer flies S’pore flag high at US Air Force Academy

Lieutenant (LTA) Christabel Chai is among the top United States Air Force Academy (USAFA) graduates this year.

At the graduation ceremony from the prestigious military academy in Colorado, US on 19 Apr, the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) officer held a Singapore flag aloft to show how proud she was to be a Singaporean.

The Singapore Embassy in Washington Facebook posted a photo of the proud moment. It drew over 1,700 likes.

"At that moment, I was about to cry with tears of pride, joy, and gratefulness as it has been four years of blood, sweat, and tears leading up to that very moment when I could honour Singapore...on the world stage, and show...what our little red dot is capable of," said LTA Chai.

The 24-year-old graduated in the top 10 per cent of her cohort of close to 1,000 cadets from the US as well as Georgia, Japan, Pakistan Macedonia, South Korea and more.

In the RSAF, LTA Chai is an Air Warfare Officer (AWO) (Air Battle Management) who directs aircraft during air combat missions. She enlisted in 2015, after graduating from Anglo-Chinese Junior College.

Here's 5 things you need to know about her:

1. She's a trailblazer

LTA Chai created history by being the first female from Southeast Asia and the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) to be selected for the highly-competitive USAFA programme, which has an acceptance rate of only 10 percent. Cadets applying to the programme must also be nominated by a congressman.

LTA Chai went through three rounds of interviews to earn a nomination by Singapore. This was followed by USAFA selection and interviews with the US Defence Attache in Singapore.

2. She's jumped off a plane alone

In her four years at USAFA, she learnt about air force operations such as flying planes and gliders, launching satellites into space – and was trained in solo jumps!

In all, she made five solo jumps to get her US Jump Wings.

Before arriving in the US, she had not done this daredevil feat before. But she drew confidence from having survived tough times during her Basic Military Training (BMT).

"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," she said.

3. She's bright

The USAFA programme combines officer cadet training with university studies. LTA Chai majored in behavioural sciences with a focus on sociology.

The SAF Merit Scholarship holder took classes like astronautical engineering, chemistry, economics, electrical engineering, history, and political science, among others.

4. She proved her mettle as a commander

No military training is complete without leadership tests.

At USAFA, LTA Chai took on leadership roles such as Squadron Commander and Group Director of Operations, taking charge of more than 100 and 1,000 cadets respectively.

Add the fact that she was away from home in an unfamiliar environment, leading cadets who were among the best from around the world, and it's easy to understand the enormous pressure she was under.

LTA Chai credited her good performance in USAFA to past leadership training she had received in the SAF. During BMT and in Officer Cadet School, she learnt how to manage her time well, pay attention to details and put the needs of others above her own.

"Those experiences allowed me to make certain decisions that benefitted the Squadron and Group that I would not have made, if I did not have that prior experience in the SAF," she said.

5. She's back to defend S'pore skies

LTA Chai just returned to Singapore in late April, to continue her operational training.

She hopes to use her skills, leadership experience and knowledge gained over the past years to better lead the airmen and women under her wing.

"There had been many changes to the lives of Singaporeans as well as for the RSAF, with everyone doing their best to overcome the COVID-19 situation," she said.

"It is a rough time for everyone, but I am excited to come back to Singapore, wear the uniform that I belong in, and continue to serve the nation."