Your fourth child is coming. You're busy with work in the bank. AND you're studying for an executive MBA. THEN you receive news that you're to attend a ten-month military course. Would you be able to cope?
MAJ (NS) Edmund Twohill did not just survive. He thrived, and emerged as the top graduate of the Command and Staff Course (CSC) (NS) this year. How did he do it?
He was among the 231 regular and NS officers, military experts, warrant officers, police officers and international officers who graduated from the Goh Keng Swee Command and Staff College (GKSCSC) this year.
MAJ (NS) Twohill was initially apprehensive about attending the CSC (NS). His fourth child was arriving, and he was already busy juggling his work and executive MBA studies. But his ever supportive wife Melissa told him, "Just do it. We'll get over it together."
During the five-week residential phase of the CSC (NS), his kids would wake up earlier so that he could send them to school. This allowed him to spend some time with them before he reported to camp.
This was important for MAJ (NS) Twohill as his kids would usually be asleep by the time he came back home, often as late as 11pm.
His executive MBA schoolmates, as well as colleagues and manager also supported him when he had to be away for training. A vice-president in DBS bank, MAJ (NS) Twohill co-leads a team of developers working on digital products.
MAJ (NS) Twohill signed on as a Regular after completing his BMT in 2003. In 2019, he called time on his military career to pursue his interest in the digital technology space.
But MAJ (NS) Twohill continues to serve with fervour as an NSman. He is currently an operations officer in an NS battalion in the Guards formation.
When asked what motivated him to give his best in NS training, MAJ (NS) Twohill said: "Without NS, you're not going to have a credible defence. And by extension, I don't think you'd have a Singapore to begin with.
"As an NS leader, I have a role to ensure that the unit that I look after or the people I interact with continue to stay positive and want to serve as national servicemen."
MAJ (NS) Twohill especially cherishes the close bonds he forged with fellow NS officers over the course of CSC (NS).
"I made a lot of good friends, friends that would last a lifetime," said MAJ (NS) Twohill. "We're all committed to ensuring that NS continues to stay relevant. We all want to see Singapore thrive and prosper."
