First RSAF female aircrew specialist: From baking pastries to firing machine guns

SHOALWATER BAY, Australia - Just a few seconds was all it took for Staff Sergeant Rachel Rodrigues to fire 150 rounds from a machine gun in an H225M helicopter on Wednesday (Sept 25).

The 27-year-old, who is the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) first female aircrew specialist, was still riding the adrenaline after landing over an hour later at a camp in Shoalwater Bay Training Area in Queensland, Australia.

"The feeling I get from the vibrations when operating the gun and seeing the rounds hit the target... it gives me a lot of chills," said Rodrigues to reporters after a weapon’s demonstration from the helicopter's door while in the air. 

"I've never experienced using a machine gun before, so I'm glad that I was given this opportunity."

Learning how to hit targets from the air is part of Rodrigues' undergoing the gunner qualification during Exercise Wallaby.

Held from Sept 8 to Nov 3, the exercise is the Singapore Armed Forces' (SAF) largest unilateral overseas exercise in the country, with the H225M taking part for the first time.

The medium lift helicopter is a successor to the Super Puma, which was in service for more than 30 years before it was progressively replaced in 2021. 

The first training frame, ending on Sept 26, also featured the debut of other updated SAF hardware, including the Hunter Armoured Fighting Vehicle and the ground-based air defense system, Python-5 and Derby (Spyder), in the annual drill.

Flying in the H225M in Shoalwater Bay meant that Rodrigues could familiarise herself in a vast training area about four times the size of Singapore.

"Since we are working closely with other helicopters, the Apaches and the Chinooks here, I will be able to internalise their mission brief, and think of how I can add value back to my squadron," she said.

"And it has opened my eyes to adapt to different environments."

'More meaningful, fulfilling, exciting career' 

In a way, the thrill of firing a machine gun has vindicated Rodrigues' "drastic" career switch after three years as a pastry chef.

"I wanted to have a career that was more meaningful, fulfilling and exciting," she told AsiaOne.

After coming across an article about a helicopter search and rescue mission in 2019, Rodrigues signed up with the RSAF a year later.

"That's what enticed me the most," she said. "And I felt that the job was very meaningful, and it reflected on what I want to have in a career.

"I would say that if I knew about this opportunity [to be in the RSAF] a lot earlier, I would definitely have wished that I had signed on sooner."

Rodrigues is one of 6,200 SAF personnel taking part in the largest and longest edition of Exercise Wallaby.

The second frame of the exercise runs from Sept 27 to Oct 14, featuring the Singapore Army's Guards and SAF Transport units, RSAF's aircraft, Ground Based Air Defence assets and Air-Land Tactical Control Centre.

The third frame is from Oct 15 to Nov 3, and it involves the Singapore Army's Infantry, Armour, Army Intelligence, the RSAF's aircraft and others.

ALSO READ: 'He was hesitant because I'm a girl': F-15 WSO fighter shares how she convinced dad to let her join RSAF

chingshijie@asiaone.com