For a certain percentage of the Singaporean male population, serving the army meant the acronym SAFO:
Serve and f*ck off.
Deeming the mandatory 2-year enlistment period to be a complete waste of time, these soldiers march on with one single thought: to get out of there asap.
“I could be attaining my Uni degree right now, you know,” said Private Chow Keng. “I’m so done with this.”
And then on the other side of the coin, there’s a certain percentage that endeavours to get the best out of the 2-year-period. Whether it’s a determined charge for a coveted bayonet or a fervent wish to ace the Officer Cadet Course (OCT) with flying colours, these individuals march on with one single thought: to excel.
Now, lest you’re wondering, this article speaks of neither. Instead, it resonates more of a comeback story;
One that speaks of a soldier who, saddled with unfortunate circumstances, remained steadfast in his far-reaching goal.
PES E NSF Upped PES & Became a SGT Then a 2LT, Which Means He Serves More Than 2.5 Years of NS
On 14 June 2020, the Singapore Army hailed 2LT Caleb Wong (from the Combat Engineers) as an exemplification of “resilience” on their Facebook page.
According to the post, Wong enlisted on 10 October 2017 as a PES E enlistee due to “medical reasons”. After completing his Basic Military Training (BMT), he was posted to Army Safety Inspectorate (ASI) as an Admin Support Assistant (ASA) for over seven months.
While some would have been overjoyed at having such a vocation, Wong was not content. He had a goal, a goal that conflicted horribly with his PES status.
“It was during my ASA times when I talked to my superiors, and I thought maybe an Army career is what I wanted,” he said.
From that point on, Wong had one single objective in mind: to become an officer.
He began striving to upgrade his PES status and finally got his wish after numerous medical check-ups and visits to the medical board. He went through BMT again and was posted to the Specialist Cadet School.
Not quite what he desired for, but he didn’t give up.
Managing to attain the award of Company Best during his Foundation Term training and later on the coveted Silver Bayonet upon his graduation from Specialist Cadet School, Wong was subsequently posted to Infantry Training Institute (ITI), where he served as a Section Commander and a Platoon Sergeant for around 8 months.
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And then it happened:
Through the recommendation of his superiors in ITI, Wong was picked to attend the crossover board;
And he managed to pass the interview.
Incredibly, after over two years of service, he has finally achieved his goal:
To embark on his Officer Cadet training and ultimately become the pinnacle of excellence in the Singapore Army.
“What kept me going was the people around me, encouraging me when I told them that I wanted to be an officer,” said 2LT Caleb Wong. “Also, without the support of my family, I don’t think I would’ve managed to achieve my goal.”
“Here I am now, in OCS after over two years since my enlistment. I’m really thankful for everyone that I’ve met throughout my entire journey pre-OCS. The entire experience has made me a better person, as well as a leader.”
Well said, Caleb. Well said. You’ve worked harder than anyone, longer than your peers, to reach where you stand. And for that, we can only tip out hats off to you.
Truly, you are an inspiration, and a prime model of what resilience is all about.
All the best in your Army career, Caleb! And we hope that you will only continue going from strength to strength…
As you did for your entire pre-OCS journey.
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