From human chains hauling rations to post-shift suppers at 4am: How team spirit on deck has shaped her naval career

As an officer with extensive navigational training and experience, Major (MAJ) Jina Lim is a dab hand at plotting a ship’s course.

So it is somewhat ironic that shortly before graduating from junior college, she found herself adrift, unsure of what course of action to take.

A self-proclaimed generalist, the only thing she knew she wanted was to do something service-related.

“I couldn’t really see myself working in the private sector, where my primary motivation would be company profits,” says the 28-year-old.

The turning point came with the two-day Mindef Experience Programme, where she and about 100 other polytechnic and junior college students got first-hand experience of the day-to-day lives of Singapore Armed Forces service personnel.

While each of the services was fascinating in its own right, it was the Republic of Singapore Navy’s (RSN) “steel beach barbecue” – a barbecue event held on the deck of a warship – that really stood out to her.

It was not for the deliciousness of the food or the novelty of the whole event, but rather, the sense of camaraderie that emanated from the service personnel she spoke to.

Each of them was imbued with something she could not quite place at the time, but she would later learn to call it the “navy spirit”.

“They were all so happy around each other, like they weren’t just colleagues, and it was really obvious in the way they interacted with one another,” she recalls.

“It was a really unique and consistent theme throughout all my conversations with various officers.”

Life in shared spaces

The strong sense of connection among the crew, she would later learn, is a natural byproduct of the shipboard experience.

“When you’re stuck with someone 24/7 in the same space, you really have to learn to work well with them,” says the former assistant operations officer on the RSS Independence, an Independence-class Littoral Mission Vessel (LMV) in the RSN.

With approximately 30 crew members in an 80m warship, spaces are tight – but so are the crew.

Among MAJ Lim’s fondest memories are simple things like the crew naturally forming a human chain to load rations from the wharf and into the ship, or someone preparing snacks for the entire team pulling watch on the bridge – or the command deck – at 4am.

“No simple thing happens on something as complex as a warship,” she says. “So building up a team that is willing to help one another out, even in the most mundane of tasks, is something critical for every crew.”

It has gotten to the point where she and her crew even spend time outside of work with one another, such as going for spin classes or other leisurely activities together.

“We enjoy work more because we enjoy being around the people we work with,” she says. The camaraderie is vital when the work gets demanding.

The LMVs are responsible for responding to incidents close to Singapore’s shores, hence their “littoral” designation. Not every patrol is the same; there are times when tensions run high and the last thing anyone wants is for them to escalate further.

“It’s the less straightforward part of the job that we tell our friends,” says MAJ Lim with a knowing smile. “But when the situation calls for it, we will respond firmly and exercise our authority.”

Any direct action from the navy outside of Singapore’s sovereignty could escalate into a diplomatic incident, she adds.

When it observes unusual activities, the ship’s communications team alerts the relevant naval authorities, while the bridge team maintains watchful eyes with its cameras the entire time.

Incidents like these remind her and her crew why their work matters. The navy patrols Singapore’s waters around the clock, standing as a vigilant first line of defence against threats to the nation’s maritime security.

“It’s a good source of motivation to myself and my crew, that what we do on a day-to-day basis really helps everyone at home sleep soundly at night.”

Navigating regional currents, forging global ties

MAJ Lim’s exposure to national defence began early in 2016, and has since broadened her strategic lens and deepened her sense of purpose.

Receiving

The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) Scholarship

that year gave her the opportunity to explore her academic interests to her heart’s content.

After receiving her Bachelor of Arts and Sciences at University College London in 2019, she went on to pursue a Master’s in global affairs at Beijing’s Tsinghua University right after, even joining the ranks of the institute’s esteemed Schwarzman Scholars.

“It was a blessing to have been able to not only afford to go overseas thanks to the scholarship, but also pick and choose modules purely based on my interests rather than their practical utility,” she says.

The selection of electives ranged from biochemistry to psychology and even foreign languages.

“It was a real privilege to be able to live independently overseas in two very different cultures, as well as connect with many friends from all around the world with different perspectives,” she continues.

Her experiences overseas deepened her interest in global affairs – and reinforced the value of collaboration in today’s geopolitical climate. Even after returning to the navy full-time, MAJ Lim’s role continued to intersect with the world stage.

She was chosen to be an RSN representative at the 19th Asean Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus Experts’ Working Group on Maritime Security Future Leaders Programme in 2023 in Honolulu, Hawaii. She was invited to speak on the conference topic of women, peace and security in Asean.

“It was really valuable to have this international exchange of ideas, to be able to bring back ideas to our own individual organisations,” she says.

Plus, she adds, the conference gave her opportunities to connect with people from all around the world, which paid off in unexpected ways.

On a recent trip to Thailand, she was able to contact and spend time with one of her counterparts from the Thai navy whom she had met during the conference.

“I thought it would be much harder to do after university, but the navy gives you a lot of chances to find international friends from diverse backgrounds,” she says.

Having recently completed the Naval Warfare Officer’s Course, MAJ Lim is eager to get her sea-legs back, with her latest assignment being operations officer on board the Formidable-class frigate RSS Intrepid – where she will get to experience her first major overseas deployment.

“I think rotation is good, because it lets you learn a lot of different things from different environments,” she says, referring to her appointments held at the headquarters and at the Naval Warfare School.

“But being back on board a ship is like being with family again.”

Find out how the SAF Scholarship can kickstart your career in the navy.