WITH the manpower crunch, it is pertinent to encourage our young women to join the Singapore Armed Forces in the defence of our nation ("Woman fighter pilot to make history"; June 19).

While women are usually not deployed to fight on land, like their male counterparts in the infantry and specialised units, due to their physical make-up, they can play equally important supporting roles providing essential services for commanders and servicemen in the battlefield.

These include areas such as communications, radar, cyber warfare, control of drones, security analysis, medical services and administration.

Let us encourage our women to forge a career in the SAF or join the SAF Volunteer Corps.

We can start with the young women cadets who join the uniformed groups in school.

Adrian Villanueva