DARWIN, AUSTRALIA - Her ambitions had her reaching for the skies, but her roots had bound her to the earth - albeit momentarily.

149 Squadron Weapon Systems Officer (WSO) Captain Hannah Teo had lofty dreams of being part of the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) since young, but had to overcome the difficult task of convincing her father that she could achieve her goals, she told AsiaOne in an interview on Tuesday (July 23).

"He was a bit hesitant because I'm a girl joining the air force - I think it's a mindset thing," Teo, 29, said.

She spoke with the media as part of Exercise Pitch Black (XPB), a biennial large-scale multinational air combat exercise hosted by the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). It is her first time taking part in this exercise. 

Teo added: "My dad was a bit sceptical because I'm his only daughter."

But Teo was enamoured with fighter jets from youth, beginning with the flyovers that were conducted during National Day Parade (NDP) every year.

"I've always watched NDP and the fighter jets; specifically for the fighter jet portion of the NDP, I've always enjoyed it every single year," she said, adding that the segment inspired her to fly.

In 2016, that was exactly what she did - she signed on with the RSAF, amid some uncertainty from her family.

But as she completed training after training and came back home with impassioned stories to tell her family, she noticed a change.

"I think over time I managed to convince him… [I] put his worries at ease, and he was a lot more open to me being a WSO fighter."

Staying connected to home

Eight years later, Teo's family is fully supportive of her decision to join the RSAF, even sending her "care packages" with local snacks and instant noodles to remind her of home while she's abroad for exercises.

"Even here in XPB, I FaceTime them almost every day," she said.

"Sometimes you don't need to say a lot of stuff, you just need to have each other there, watching each other do our own things, go about our daily life.

"I think that actually helps me and them - to know that we still spend time with each other while I'm overseas."

Now, Teo hopes to sharpen her skills as a WSO fighter in XPB, with the goal of better understanding her craft - and aircraft - during this exercise.

As an F-15SG WSO, Teo sits behind the pilot during the flight, helping build situational awareness in fights and managing the weapon and avionics systems.

"Flying is actually a perishable skill," she told AsiaOne. "You have to keep revising and relearning what you have learnt before… learning more about my jet is what I aspire to do in the short-term."

Love in the air

For 143 Squadron F-16 fighter pilot Captain Nyang Bing Ru, another XPB participant, he has his wife sending him love from home in Singapore, along with his child, soon to be born end-November.

It wasn't easy to convince her to let him go to XPB, however, considering how she's already five months pregnant.

Speaking with AsiaOne, the 33-year-old shared his tactical approach to convincing his better half.

"Leading up to the exercise, I first hinted to her that it was coming up, [letting her know] that if I do go, how long it would be," he said.

He had also reasoned with her that the air force needed him to showcase Singapore's capabilities to militaries of the world, and that it may be his last exercise with his squadron before he gets posted out.

"I also had to negotiate with my boss on how long I would have to spend in Darwin - her conclusion was that if it helps my career and is meaningful to me, she would let me go."

But just as much as Nyang's wife might have been displeased with the situation, it may also have been the RSAF that gave them the opportunity to be together.

He had first met her in secondary school where the duo lost contact "for a bit", Nyang recalled.

His second opportunity to speak with her came when the RSAF gave him the opportunity to pursue his degree in global affairs in Yale-NUS.

"I first reconnected with her while I was in one of the SAF programmes in NTU where I saw her doing her NIE programme," he said.

"Thereafter, when I went into Yale-NUS myself, as the younger generation would put it, I 'slid into her DMs'."

The next thing he knew, he was married to her with a kid on the way, he told AsiaOne.

"Without the SAF programme, I would not have bumped into her again, and this love story would never have happened."

Nyang himself is also making up for his absence in this crucial period for his wife.

"I also told her that when I go back, I promise to go with her to all the doctor visits and buy her a nice present," he said.

As for what that present is, Nyang declined to say.

"It's a secret," he replied with a knowing smile. "To give her a surprise."

Dreams come true

The glamour of flying in the skies may not be for everyone, and some may dream of more down-to-earth accomplishments - literally.

805 Squadron F-16 Air Force Engineer ME1 Sakthi Jesh, 24, may be one such individual - he shared his dreams of being an engineer with AsiaOne on Tuesday.

Sakthi explained that his diploma was in Aerospace System and Management at Nanyang Polytechnic, and the moment he entered Basic Military Training (BMT), he had his mind set on working on aircrafts.

He then decided to join the RSAF to get closer to aircrafts - all while creating a "meaningful experience" for himself while serving the nation.

"After developing a passion for the F-16 platform, I would like to further develop myself as an air force engineer, taking on bigger roles in the future," he said.

Although his parents were eventually supportive, they had their reservations at first, especially since Sakthi is their only child.

"They had mixed responses… there's always the concern of me being away [on detachments]," Sakthi recalled.

However, as he kept going for more detachments over his four-year career, his parents saw his progression and became more willing to accept his decision to join the RSAF.

Seeing Sakthi go out with his friends from the air force and the camaraderie between fellow RSAF personnel helped his parents feel more at ease.

Being with his peers also keeps his homesickness at bay, Sakthi added, helping him acclimatise to the overseas detachment.

But he'll still miss out on key happenings at home when he's sent away on longer overseas detachments, he admitted.

"I think this is normal," he said. "But I always do call home to find out what I've missed, congratulate on successes, and spend time with [family] when I go back, which makes up for it."

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khooyihang@asiaone.com