SAF commissions 204 officers amid virus challenges

When full-time national serviceman Emir Ilyas Elham's basic military training (BMT) was suspended last April because of the circuit breaker to stem the spread of Covid-19, he took charge of his own training at home.

The 20-year-old went for his own runs on weekends and cut down on sugary drinks. At the end of his 19-week BMT, which began in late January last year, he had shed 13kg.

"A lot of us put in the extra effort to do our own physical training, so that we could prove to ourselves and our commanders that we could make a lifestyle change to be healthier and fitter," he said.

His batch had its BMT suspended for about two months from April to May, in line with the circuit breaker. He was later selected for Officer Cadet School, where he completed a 38-week course to become an infantry officer in the army.

He was among 204 cadets commissioned as Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) officers on Sunday, said the Ministry of Defence (Mindef) yesterday. The cadets received their ceremonial swords and letters of appointment at decentralised commissioning ceremonies.

Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Edwin Tong, who, as reviewing officer, addressed the graduands in a recorded video message, said security challenges facing Singapore - such as cyber-security threats - persist and continue to evolve amid the pandemic.

The threat of terrorism also remains, with the continued spread of radical ideologies in cyberspace.

Climate change is another challenge for Singapore, he said, noting that Mindef and the SAF will do their part for the environment under the Singapore Green Plan 2030.

"Even as the security landscape continues to evolve, the mission of the SAF remains constant - that is, to defend Singapore and our way of life. The SAF's strength lies not just in our state-of-the-art weaponry, but also in the grit and determination of our servicemen," he said.

The core role of SAF officers remains the same - to lead men by example, to train them to high standards and to keep them safe, added Mr Tong, who is also Second Minister for Law.

Another graduand was air force regular Adeline Ow Wai Teng, 24, whose interest in aviation was sparked during family visits to the Singapore Airshow when she was a child. Her graduation route march was shortened to 12km from the usual 24km, due to her batch not having enough time to complete the required build-up training. Her batch also missed out on activities such as the grenade throw and standard obstacle course training.

"It's unfortunate that I didn't get to experience these. But I think what is more important is ensuring that training can continue amid the pandemic and that it instils in us the fundamentals for us to move forward to the next phase of our training," she said.