From SCS to OCS: Singapore PR reflects on his National Service journey

When Matthew Roy Cox enlisted for National Service in January, he worried that he wouldn't fit in with his batchmates. 

Speaking to AsiaOne about his NS journey on Saturday (Nov 30), Officer Cadet Cox, said that his concerns stemmed from him having a different upbringing. 

Although he was raised in Singapore, his parents enrolled him in an international school where he completed his A-level examinations. 

"Maybe it's also because of the fact that I look slightly different, [I was worried] others would judge me or wouldn't treat me as kindly," Cox said.

11 months later, the 20-year-old Singapore permanent resident is one of the 441 cadets who were commissioned as officers during the Officer Cadet Commissioning Parade at the SAFTI Military Institute on Saturday. 

The parade marked the completion of 38 weeks of training at the Officer Cadet School, and the newly commissioned officers will go on to assume command, instructional or staff appointments in the Singapore Armed Forces. 

Describing his experience in Officer Cadet School (OCS), Cox said he was thankful to his section mates who didn't exclude him when he joined the course midway. 

He was originally posted to Specialist Cadet School (SCS), and was later selected to cross over to OCS. 

"They really put in the effort to include me in the group, despite already having shared experiences which I wasn't a part of," said Cox. 

The opportunity to bond with his section mates came during their overseas exercises, one of which involved participating in a nine-day Jungle Confidence Course in Brunei. 

"One of the key memories was when we sat near the helicopter winching points, and we spent hours just talking about life. It was a very deep bonding experience." 

They also came to his aid when he was too tired to complete one of his training missions during an overseas exercise. 

"I was struggling to plan and prepare for the mission as the appointed platoon commander, but they came to me and said, 'Whatever you need, we are here for you, and we will help you.' 

"It was the way they came to my support without me having to ask, it's a memory I will hold dear for the rest of my life," Cox said. 

Family support

Another support system Cox has is his family, who have been very encouraging about his performance in the army. 

Among his family members, the most supportive one was his late grandma.

"She was alive during World War Two, and she was always very proud about me serving in the army, especially because my grandfather was a sergeant," he said. 

Although his grandma had died by the time Cox was selected for OCS, she remained a very strong motivator for him while he was undergoing training. 

"It's what kept me going during the hard times." 

Cox also spoke fondly of his mother, who was worried about him enlisting in the army. 

"She has come to terms with it and she's very proud of me fighting for something bigger than myself, and being able to support those around me." 

Now that he's an officer, Cox hopes he'll be able to go on a command tour before completing his National Service next November. 

"A big motivation for me is to make an impact on people's lives. And I think being able to work directly with the men around me is something I'm really interested in, I think it'll be really rewarding." 

Addressing the officer cadets at the parade, President Tharman Shanmugaratnam congratulated them for completing their rigorous training.

"Over the past 38 weeks, you have been through challenges that have tested your limits. These experiences put you in a good position to embark on the next phase of your leadership journey." 

As future leaders of the armed forces, Tharman urged them to hold on to the values they learned during their training. 

"When tough times come, you will do what those before you have always done – recognising that we all have responsibilities; that we are in this together; and that we navigated rough seas before and will do so again." 

claudiatan@asiaone.com