SINGAPORE - Fresh out of his National ITE Certificate (Nitec) course, then 20-year-old Kavin Timothy Trina Shanti had his sights on becoming a commando.

He did not make the cut.

Undeterred, he tried again for the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) Commando Formation, and again, when he was passed over a second time - deferring his national service twice for further studies.

Five years later, with a Higher Nitec and a diploma under his belt, he finally passed the aptitude tests and interviews to make it into the elite force in July last year.

"The commandos was the only place I wanted to be," Second Lieutenant (2LT) Kavin, 26, told The Straits Times.

Excelling in commando training, the full-time national serviceman (NSF) was selected for officer training in January this year.

He graduated this month alongside 352 other officer cadets in the SAF's 121st batch, even earning a Sword of Merit, which is awarded to the top 10 per cent of each officer cadet batch.

Due to Covid-19 safe management measures, the commissioning parade will take place in decentralised ceremonies. The first was on Wednesday afternoon (June 9) and others will be held till Friday.

A total of 286 cadets from the Singapore Army, 33 from the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) and 34 from the Republic of Singapore Air Force are being commissioned as officers.

2LT Kavin said that student life in Singapore Polytechnic, where he took aeronautical engineering, prepared him for national service with younger peers.

"I was involved in overseas community projects in Indonesia and China in polytechnic, where I interviewed and worked with juniors who were five to six years younger than me."

He added: "Coming to army at the age of 25 was not the wrong move as I had learnt how to be mature, and appreciate the things I have in this safe and secure country. If I had enlisted earlier, I would have been more ignorant and self-centred."

Similarly, 2LT Valerie Wee, 23, credits school life for influencing her military service.

The army intelligence officer, will pass out of Officer Cadet School (OCS) on Friday (June 11) with a Best in Knowledge award.

The idea of signing on was sparked by the teacher in charge of her secondary school basketball team, she said.

"My teacher said it was a pretty good prospect for us, since we already had the fitness and the team spirit."

The idea stuck with her, even as she started working as a project executive in the exhibitions and events industry in 2018, after getting a diploma in tourism and resort management.

Speaking to female personnel she met at career fairs and SAF day events, as well as friends and their relatives in service, nudged her towards pursuing a career with the army.

"My elder sister encouraged me to go for it because she regretted not joining the air force. I'm younger and known to be more daring," she quipped.

"I loved what I did, but felt the 9-to-5 job didn't suit me because I love to go out, explore and be adventurous," said the self-professed "sporty girl".

Echoing her sentiment, freshly minted navy officer Akmal Rostam said: "Being in the navy is a lot of excitement compared with 9-to-5 office jobs".

Having enlisted in the army as an NSF in May, he was transferred to the navy in September during his officer cadet course.

"There was some culture shock," said 2LT Akmal, "as the army side was more physically demanding, and the navy side has studying involved, though there was still physical activity."

The stint in OCS broadened his perspective, said the 22-year-old events management diploma holder.

"Before joining the navy, I understood its importance to protect our sea lanes of communication, but didn't know how big a role NSFs played to ensure maritime peace and security."

Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat, who spoke at the commissioning ceremony in a recorded video message on Wednesday as the reviewing officer, said Singaporeans must be prepared for greater uncertainty in the external environment, especially surrounding the US-China relationship and the pandemic.

"We must also be alert to emerging threats, including those in non-traditional security domains such as cyber security," said Mr Heng, who also is Coordinating Minister for Economic Policies.

"The SAF must continue to enhance its capabilities to address these diverse threats."