SINGAPORE - Long before local director Jack Neo made his hit comedy movie about female basic military training (BMT), Into The Fray: The Making Of A Female Soldier, a 2015 Web series from the Ministry of Defence, was already showing women how it was done.
Three days after Ah Girls Go Army opened in cinemas here on Feb 1, the ministry sought to jog the public's memory with a Facebook post that urged anyone who wants to know what "the real deal" is like to watch the seven-episode show.
Into The Fray documents the journey of several female recruits from Section 3, Platoon 4, Pegasus Company, as they train to be soldiers in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF). It has since garnered more than a million views on YouTube.
The Straits Times catches up with the real "Ah Girls Go Army", who have since gone on to rewarding careers in the SAF's three services - the army, navy and air force.
Captain Rebekah Abbott, 28
Air Warfare Officer (Air Battle Management), 200SQN, Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF)
It has always been her childhood dream to be a soldier, as she looked up to women in uniform. She also had a deep passion for aviation and would go plane-watching.
During her secondary school days, she dragged her mother along to RSAF open houses.
Captain Rebekah Abbott was so determined to join the air force, she applied in her second year at St Andrew's Junior College - after learning more about the service through recruitment fairs. She enlisted a few months after her A levels.
After completing her BMT and Officer Cadet School (OCS), she pursued a degree in aviation from Griffith University in Brisbane, Australia, before rejoining the air force.
Ever since she appeared in Into The Fray, young women - those who signed on or were posted to her unit - have approached her to ask about life in the military.
CPT Abbott, whose mum is Chinese-Singaporean and dad British, tells The Straits Times: "I feel privileged to be able to have (the show) to look back on what my BMT experience was like. Even now, it brings back fond memories.
"It was unique and special as I spent only that short period of time in green, when I got to go outfield and fire live rounds and throw live grenades.
"When others ask me what it's like to be a woman in BMT, instead of trying to explain it to them, I can just show them the videos.
"I'm glad there's this platform for females to be able to see what life in BMT is like before they enlist, so they know what to expect and how to prepare."
She specialises in air battle management, which requires her to direct RSAF aircraft for air combat missions.
The ongoing Russian-Ukraine crisis reminds her of the importance of her role in the RSAF.
"Peace doesn't come easily. I'm really honoured to be part of a team that safeguards our nation's sovereignty."
Captain Nuraishah Ibrahim, 34
Officer Commanding, HQ 2nd Singapore Infantry Brigade (2SIB), Army
After commissioning from OCS, Captain Nuraishah Ibrahim was posted to BMT as a platoon commander of Pegasus Company, where those who trained her during her BMT ended up becoming her colleagues.
She says: "It was so nice to come full circle. It's a way for me to give back."
CPT Nuraishah, who has a hospitality degree from the University of Nevada Las Vegas, has been attracted to the army since her National Cadet Corps Singapore days in secondary school.
Her then-boyfriend, a Tech Store In-Charge in the SAF, also encouraged her to enlist. They married in 2017 and have a three-month-old daughter.
Having just returned from maternity leave, she credits the SAF Servicewomen Network for providing support during her pregnancy and for ensuring a smooth transition back to work.
Her husband is now a Third Warrant Officer - Service Support Platoon Warrant, Supply Base Central based in the 21st Battalion Singapore Artillery. The couple continue to bond over their common vocations.
But initially, the physical demands of the job caused CPT Nuraishah to nearly quit OCS.
She says: "I hate running, but I told myself I can be the last, as long as I don't give up. I faced the challenges head on and was determined to push through."
Now, she is enjoying the fruits of her labour, in part thanks to the exposure she received from Into The Fray.
While she was doing ushering duties for her seniors in OCS, a young woman approached her and said she wanted to join the army because of the show, and CPT Nuraishah ended up training her as a recruit.
Her personal trainer, who recognised her from Into The Fray, said she was even more motivated to join the SAF Volunteer Corps after getting to know her.
Being an inspiration and a role model appears par for the course, but CPT Nuraishah's most unforgettable moment was receiving a message from one of her men after a platoon commander tour.
She says: "He wrote, 'If I were to go to war, I'll go with you.' It was a reflection of my leadership, that they trust me enough to put their lives in my hands.
"When I read that, I had goosebumps and knew I did something right."
Captain Anithra Sukumar Srimathi, 31
Senior Trainer, Artillery Institute, Army
She is perhaps best known for naming her SAR21 BMT rifle - also known as "husband" in army lingo - "Gerard" in one of the more humorous moments from Into The Fray, which ended up being a meme.
Captain Anithra Sukumar Srimathi jokes: "That has been haunting me ever since I commissioned."
But as a senior trainer in the Artillery Institute, she has moved on to bigger guns.
"I've upgraded to a howitzer," she quips. For the layman, that would be a cannon.
CPT Anithra, who studied business at Singapore Institute of Management, was drawn to the SAF as its values were "very aligned" with hers.
She says: "I wanted to be part of an organisation with a bigger purpose. We are all working towards the same objective - the defence of Singapore.
"And every day, when you wake up, it doesn't feel dreadful going to work. You know your job is meaningful and truthful, and you are doing something for society."
She recalls how, at a milestone parade, the mother of one of her full-time national servicemen (NSF) under her charge thanked her for being "the only person he could talk to when he was very distressed" and recounted how she "helped him get through this period".
She says: "I didn't know we had such great impact on our NSFs and their morale, so that was quite heartwarming, to have parents thanking you and appreciating you."
That, she feels, is the advantage of a woman's touch.
"Women bring a very different flavour to the SAF. We are more empathetic - maybe we remind the men of their sisters or mothers - and they know they can confide in us," she says.
"Everyone thinks leadership is this masculine role, but at the end of the day, it's about leading and teaching them in your own way."
Captain Vivian Yuna Ng, 30
Executive Officer (XO) OF RSS Endurance, Republic of Singapore Navy
Captain Vivian Yuna Ng wishes she had not said certain things that were captured in Into The Fray.
Like her infamous reason for wanting to join the navy - "to be one with the fishes".
CPT Ng - who had taken up diving as a hobby and was looking to work in a sea-related field - says with an embarrassed laugh: "That's what people always quote back to me and what new recruits (identify me with). Ironically, I haven't dived for many years."
The English literature graduate from National University of Singapore says the key takeaway of BMT was learning the importance of comradeship, discipline and resilience - values that have stuck with her and which also embody the "navy family spirit".
CPT Ng is second in command on the RSS Endurance, where she supports the running of the ship and oversees an 80-strong team.
She often takes on multiple officer roles, whether it is in the area of navigation, warfare or tech operations.
But she counts the pre-pandemic sailings for long deployments as the highlights of her career.
The ship family would embark on operations in overseas ports, conduct bilateral mission planning exercises with other navies, enjoy cocktails with foreign counterparts and go for shore leave to experience the country.
CPT Ng's most "dramatic" deployment took place in Sasebo, Japan, in 2018.
She recalls: "The sea was rough and the weather was bad. As a navigating officer, I had to plan the routes a few times in order to avoid a typhoon, and thank goodness everyone was safe."
Correction note: Mindef has clarified that the group that provided support for Captain Nuraishah Ibrahim is called SAF Servicewomen Network.
