Y1 Affirmation Ceremony

By PTE Haegen Budianto

  As I reached school, in my No.4 uniform and with a missing formation patch that I never got, I was thinking, “Why are we here? What is this ‘Affirmation Ceremony’ for? Why does this CCA have sooo many events?” Well on that day, 20 May 2024, I would end up answering the first two questions.

  The bus brought us Flight As to the Air Force Training Command (AFTC) in Paya Lebar Air Base, where we were greeted by several sergeants guarding the gate. We were then seated and were given some goodie bags with snacks while we waited. A while later, we were seated in an auditorium where some officers explained some ground rules, the order of the day, and our Formation Groups where we would be grouped up with some other schools. 

  The first part of the day started with a gallery walk. As we walked around, we learned about the RSAF’s history and how the government turned it into a 3rd Generation Air Force. It was truly fascinating to learn how our air force was built from scratch and what challenges the RSAF had to cope with. 

  The second part of the day was a trip to the Air Force museum, just next to the AFTC. There, we saw more about the RSAF’s history, as well as some interesting things such as how the uniforms changed over time, and some old planes previously used by the military. I even got to play with a flight simulator in the museum!

  The third part of the day consisted of a talk in the auditorium, where we learnt some history about the National Cadet Corps, as well as its vision, mission and motto. We were then taught about what to expect later during the affirmation ceremony itself, such as what drills to do and what phrases to say.

  The last part of the day was the affirmation ceremony. We listened to the speeches of some senior officers of the RSAF, and then proceeded to sing the NCC song and say the NCC pledge. The day ended on a high note when one of the officers said, “...and to serve with pride and dedication!”, where we afterwards shouted, “NCC!”

  This whole experience was very memorable. It taught me many things, the history of the RSAF, the events that will take place for us in the future, and most importantly, what it meant to be a cadet, of the National Cadet Corps.

Laser Run Competition

By CPL Chong Jae Ron

  On 18 May, NCC Air and NCC Land participated in the Laser Run competition at NCC HQ. My team, consisting of Marc Xavier Wong, Ashton Raj and myself took part in it. The competition involved using a laser gun and shooting at a target and running. Before it was our turn to compete, we felt confident in our ability to at least be at the top 10 out of more than 50 schools. However, during the competition, we realised that we were too overconfident. We ran together with a few other schools and started lagging behind. During my run, I felt tired and wanted to give up, but I kept pushing on. However, it was to no avail and we finished last out of the few schools we ran with. In the end, we placed 26th with a timing of 6 minutes and 32 seconds. It was a very humbling experience and led all of us to reflect on what we could have done to improve. In conclusion, this event had taught us to be humble and to be confident, but not arrogant. It was a fun experience and strengthened the bonds between us. We are grateful for the opportunity to take part in this activity and we look forward to the next event.

Singapore Amazing Flying Machine Competition (SAFMC) 

Category C1: Radio Control Flight - Fixed Wing and 

Category C2: Unpowered Gliders

By CPL Nicholas Lee Mangkuliono and CPL Adith Pranav Senthil Kumar

     On 26th March 2024, two teams, "Happy Sheeps" and “High Gliders”, participated in the Singapore Amazing Flying Competition (SAFMC), each tackling the challenges of flight with dedication and aspiration.

     The first team, "Happy Sheeps,", consisting of USM Alson Mook, CPL Poh Le Yang, CPL Chan Yap Tong and CPL Nicholas Lee Mangkuliono, invested two months in constructing their aeroplane under the guidance of USM Alson Mook. They meticulously selected wing and body designs, opting for medium low aspect ratio (AR) wings for reduced drag and incorporating dihedral wings for stability. Entering the competition hall at the Singapore Science Centre, they presented their aircraft to the judges, hopeful for success.

     However, their excitement turned to disappointment as their plane nosedived, rendering them disqualified due to extensive damage. Despite this setback, they were surprised to receive the Best Presentation Award - 2nd Place prize, a welcome acknowledgment of their efforts in the face of adversity.

     Meanwhile, my team, “High Gliders”, consisting of USM Alson Mook, CPL Thet Htun Zaw, CPL Shibu Limuel Abraham, and myself, embarked on our journey with chuck gliders, dedicating months to training and craftsmanship under the guidance of Sergeant Major Alson and Sergeant Aaron. Our nerves and excitement mounted as we presented our glider to the judges on competition day. After that, we proceeded to performance segment of the competition. Our initial glider flight yielded a modest score of 40/100 points, but with strategic tweaks and score boosters, we managed to improve our standing to 60/100 points.

     Although neither team clinched victory, both emerged from SAFMC with enriched experiences and newfound knowledge. Our collaborative efforts fueled our growth, inspiring us to strive for excellence in future endeavours.

Reflecting on our SAFMC journey, we are grateful for the opportunity to delve into aeromodelling and glider design. With determination driving us forward, we eagerly anticipate the chance to pursue our passion for flight and reach new heights in the future.

On day 4, we headed to Berakas Forest Reserve where we would spend 2 days and 1 night. I personally felt that this was the best part of the trip as we could enjoy a scenic view of the forest and beach. Most importantly, the novel experiences aside- eating a live sago worm is something few Singaporeans can boast about- it was during this time that I could truly get to know all my Bruneian friends as the time between activities and the loneliness of sentry duty provided an opportunity for us to have heart to heart conversations with one another. 

The next day, we went to Lakiun camp, a piece of land given to Singapore for SAF soldiers to train. This generous gift further proves the point that Singapore and Brunei are extremely close. We viewed the bunks, attended a presentation of what SAF personnel did there and much more. That night, we dropped by the Pasar Malam and savoured authentic Bruneian cuisine. 

On the sixth day, we visited the 1st battalion and experienced survival lessons and a riot demonstration. Despite the sobering fact that it was our last day together, we ended with a bang with a closing ceremony full of song, dance and food. Despite being 1,255.88 kilometres apart, I am still in contact with many of my Bruneian counterparts. Our friendship is something I will forever cherish; I entered as a stranger but left as a brother to all of them. I am greatly thankful to NCC for this eye-opening experience as well as to the Bruneians for their incredible hospitality and love!

2022 NCC Sports Championships

By SSG Daniel Sim

  The NCC Sports Championships returned after the easing of COVID-19 restrictions earlier this year. In the fourth edition since its start in 2017, the Sports Championships featured all NCC Units from Land, Air and Sea. It comprises 3 different sports for each batch of cadets across both genders - Captain’s Ball, Frisbee and Soccer. The Sports Championships serves as a platform for cadets to express their talent and skills outside of the usual arms and drills performed during CCA, showcasing their excellence in the various sports.

  Our Year 2 team which participated in Ultimate Frisbee, finished 2nd at the District level. The Year 3 cadets who participated in Football, started their competition at Greendale Secondary School for their District Prelims. The team went undefeated during the preliminary rounds, securing a spot in the District Finals, in which they also won, proceeding to Catholic High for the Sports Championship Finals. After a series of knockout football, our team made our way to the final. Persevering through, a late winner saw the team crowned as the NCC Sports Champions, bringing home the trophy for the school.       

2022 Senior Cadet Leadership Camp

By CPL Seah Hong Yi

The 2-day-1-night 2022 Senior Cadet Leadership Camp was a truly memorable NCC experience. After reporting to school on the 9th of November at mid-day, we were soon on our way to the first activity of the camp: Air Rifle Course. 

At Safra Yishun, we first attended a safety briefing, before commencing target practice. Some of us took to it like a duck to water, while others struggled a little. To our incredulity, we were soon informed that we had been practicing on pistol targets all the while. The real deal was rifle targets, which were much smaller. Despite this, we remained undeterred. To spice things up, our instructors suggested having a mini contest, where cadets could put their shooting skills to the test and see who scored the highest. Although I was nowhere near the best, I thoroughly enjoyed this new experience.

Back in school, we were briefed by our Teacher Officer, Ms Chew, on the various leadership roles we could take up next year, as well as the responsibilities each would entail. This was to aid us in selecting our preferred leadership position, for which time would be given next morning. We then attended a talk about active listening conducted by our Commanding Officer, Mr Mok. As good leaders seek first to understand, then to be understood, active listening would be vital in all our endeavours as leaders next year.

The next day, we were supposed to head to Pulau Ubin for our Amazing Race and Outdoor Cooking activities. As we completed various tasks throughout the day, I marvelled at the effort our seniors must have put into planning this camp. I felt that my experiences over the past two days had made me a more mature person. I learnt to work with my peers towards a common goal, think out of the box to solve problems, and even discovered a persevering side of myself. I also gained an appreciation for the hard work our National Servicemen put into defending Singapore, trudging long distances over rough terrains with heavy kits on their back, sleeping in mud and soil as they went through training outfield.

Remembrance Day 2022 

By CPL Declan Yeo

On Saturday, 12 November 2022, several of my peers participated in the Remembrance Day ceremony at Kranji War Memorial which is the sacred burial place for the Commonwealth soldiers who died in Singapore fighting the Japanese during World War Two. Built in 1975, Kranji War Memorial has neatly-arranged rows of white headstones along a gentle slope. A Remembrance Day ceremony is held annually to commemorate the fallen.

At 08:00, we arrived at Labrador Nature Reserve where I was selected with two other cadets to participate in the ceremony. Before the ceremony started, the Veterans League member told us about the history of Labrador Nature Reserve: 

 With the Japanese invasion, the fort was immediately upgraded to Labrador Battery. The British believed that the Japanese would attack Singapore from the sea, therefore they armed their forts with Armour Piercing (AP) rounds capable of penetrating the armour of warships and causing devastating damage. However, the Japanese invaded Singapore via the Causeway from the North. Even though the guns could rotate 360 degrees, their AP shells proved ineffective against ground attacks. The 1st Indian Infantry Brigade, led by Lieutenant Adnan bin Saidi, mounted a strong resistance against the Japanese at Pasir Panjang, lasting 48 hours. This led to the Alexandra Hospital massacre, in which medical staff and patients were killed by the vengeful Japanese.

After his recount, the member of the SAF Veterans League initiated two minutes of silence in memory of the fallen soldiers and a cadet read out the short Remembrance Day poem “For the Fallen”, written by English poet Laurence Binyon:

They shall not grow old, as we that are left grow old:

Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning,

We will remember them.

Another cadet and I walked up to the monument and placed the wreath on it before falling back into position.

 Both level and skill-set categorised the Air Competitions, with our Junior Cadets set to participate in the Paper Glider event. The event included the range challenge and the longest time aloft. The event was measured through the distance travelled by a cadet’s folded paper glider, or its time aloft. Under time constraints, cadets were given paper and limited time to fold into gliders that could travel the furthest distance or remain up in the air as long as possible. Many variations of paper gliders were observed, such as the conventional ‘Dart’ design or the ‘Suzanne’. 

 Junior and Senior cadets participated in the Flight Simulator category which was divided into three events, Simulated Spot Landing, Limbo and Ring Race. Situated in the school’s computer laboratory, cadets were divided into their individual events. The Simulated Spot Landing was measured by the plane's distance from the red centre of an archery target lit up on the runway over three attempts. Cadets had to perform an 8-figure circuit around the runway upon taking off, and land as close as possible to the centre. The Limbo challenge tested the ability of a cadet to fly their plane under low obstacles without crashing, all from a third-person perspective. Ring race took place in the first-person perspective of a pilot racing through a series of 33 rings across a map and saw cadets ranked by their timings.

 The Balsa Wood (Chuck Glider) was open to all cadets of any level who were interested, with 26 cadets participating. Cadets were to throw their chuck glider from behind a designated line as far as they could and the glider's initial contact with the ground was recorded as the distance travelled.

 For most cadets, this year’s edition of the National Air Competitions was their first ever time participating and was certainly a commendable achievement. Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) finished the competition as the overall champions across all events, narrowly overcoming second place, St Joseph's Institution. All cadets who participated showed a tremendous amount of dedication devoted to the Air Competitions,  serving as an important platform for everyone to recognise the skills and talents of our NCC Air cadets, rewarding them for their effort and dedication. 

Army Open House 2022 Experience

By CP Sim Yan Zhao Daniel

  After a long 5-year hiatus, a combined group of Flight C and D cadets were finally able to attend the Singapore Army Open House 2022, the very first since 2017. It was a bright and early thursday morning and we took a bus ride to the Singapore F1 Pit Building where the open house was situated at. With it being the first in 5 years, we were curious and excited about what the open house had to offer, and it did not disappoint. When we first arrived, we were met with the booming energy of the recruits who mandated the booths, greeting us upon entry. We gathered around a concrete platform near fellow NCC units from other schools, taking a look around the vast array of activities and showcases that stood before us. 

   We first made our way to a large tentage that hosted many other military personnel, mandating a long booth that included guns and targets. Behind the booth were several targets positioned at random, decorated with camouflage items. We all took turns trying out the laser-pointed guns which fired no projectiles but instead lit up the targets when we shot them. We then made our way to a military physical fitness booth that consisted of both individualized bodyweight training and assisted weight training, as well as an obstacle course. The obstacle course contained obstacles like wall climbing, feet-to-back wall climbing, rope pulling, inclined rope climb, and a balancing beam. It tested the agility, speed, strength, and endurance of our cadets! On the other hand, the fitness training consisted of a bench press, weighted treadmill runs, push-ups, and a machine that measured the flexibility of your legs. It was an eye-opening experience into the physical fitness of a soldier, and the many forms of technology implemented to help them achieve peak fitness.

    This was not the only implementation of technology, however, as we soon entered a room filled with many different booths that had activities spanning across a variety of military formations. To name a few, there were virtual-reality training courses that simulated the real ones recruits would experience, a food-rationing booth, military vehicle driving simulators, and many more that we were able to test out first-hand. 

    Fitness and training aside, we then boarded a naval vehicle that was nearly 15 by 30 meters long. It was a surreal experience being able to ride in the vehicle, enjoying the nice breeze that caressed our faces as we saw the Marina Bay Sands and the Singapore Flyer. The machine was nothing like we had ever seen before, being both functional on land and water to transport cargo. Apart from that, we also met numerous military vehicles of varying purposes all along the track, such as helicopters, missile launchers, transport units, tanks and more. The vehicles stood tall above our heads as we were given insight on their functionality by recruits. 

   Lastly, our final location of the day brought us to the history of our military and the many vocations within. It introduced us to the many unique badges, uniforms, head gear and ranks that soldiers in our armed forces can achieve, as well as a 3D screening of the journey our nation’s recruits go through during the national service. There were many booths as well, such as the CSI fingerprint station where we were able to imprint our very own fingerprints, a display of the food-rations soldiers would recieve, and a historical display of the evolution of military wear over the years.

    All in all, the Army Open House 2022 was a unique insight into the hardwork put in by our nation’s armed forces to maintain peace and safety within our country.  We were given a rare opportunity to be able to understand the works and wraps that take place all over our country, as well as the chances to experience the advanced technology used first-hand. It was an eye opening experience, and one that made me realise just how much care and importance is placed to keep us safe every day.

Serving In Thailand 2019

A Trip of Service

By 3SG Ayden Goh 

Thai students are in some ways more cultured than us Singaporean students. For one, they know how to queue up patiently for food whereas we Singaporeans rushed towards the buffet spread the minute we were allowed to start selecting our dishes for dinner, forming what looks more like a crowd than a queue around the spread. Moreover, Thai students are extraordinarily welcoming and are keen to make new friends, even with us, despite the fact that, to my knowledge, they tend to be rather shy when communicating in English. The Thai students also seem to be able to place their shoes in the correct positions in an orderly manner, whereas us Singaporeans, myself included, tend to leave them in a mess. Thus, while the Thai students have expressed their thanks for the service we rendered to them, I have personally benefited from this trip as well, having gained new insights into the Thai culture.

    The trip was a 7 day trip, commencing on 16/11/19 when we-the cadets of SJI NCC (air) and NCC (land)-departed Singapore for Bangkok. Over the trip, we visited museums, went shopping and played with our friends. However, the highlight of the trip was our 4 days of service at Si Yaek Bang Toey School in the outskirts of Bangkok. We were organised into 5 groups namely the “Teaching and learning” group-responsible for educating the Thai students on basic English and Chinese. The “gardening” group-responsible for maintaining and improving the school’s garden, the “sports and games” group-which organised games to entertain the Thai students. The “cultural exchange” group-which exposed the Thais to Singaporean culinary and artistic culture and in turn was exposed Thai culture, and lastly, the “Painting” group- which I am a part of and we were responsible for painting the walls of a classroom.

    The First day of the trip consisted of a visit to the Thai National Geological museum,. Opened in 2012 in honour of the Thai King Rama IX, the museum contained a myriad of informative displays on Thailand’s unique geography. Examples included infographics describing Thailand’s mineral wealth and an earthquake simulator-which we lamentably did not get to use. The next activity was an orientation visit to Si yaek Bang Toey School. Upon arrival, we played “ice-breaker” games with the Thai students. Being an introvert, I initially held back from interacting with the Thai students, although after being encouraged by my peers-and being sternly told to interact more with the Thai students by my teacher-officers, I eventually started to step out of my comfort zone and tried engaging the Thai students in conversations. However, I was unable to hear the Thai students properly due to their accents and thus most of our conversations were fraught with difficulty. Nevertheless, the Thai students were extremely welcoming and kept trying to converse with me in English. They even tried to use hand gestures to communicate with me-with some success. Moreover, according to my teacher officers, the Thai students are generally reserved. Thus, by going out of their way to try and form relationships with me, it is obvious that the Thai students are extremely embracing of others. 

    The next 4 days consisted of my group and I working to paint the walls of the classroom. We first cleaned the portions of the walls to be painted, removing the staples the Thai students and teachers used to fasten posters onto the walls. The posters were removed and kept away safely. We then painted the walls white as a first layer before we painted over the white with blue paint. We then  painted the English alphabet and English names for months and days, among other things onto the front wall. Only half of the back wall was painted as cupboards located at the other half of the wall would complicate any effort to paint it. The side walls were unpainted due to a lack of paint. We painted our school name “SJI”, along with our handprints on the painted half of the back wall. We planned to have the Thai students paint their fingerprints on or beside our handprints to symbolise the connection between us and the Thai students although, much to my disappointment, we were unable to do so. I certainly hope that the next batch of volunteers could get this done. Overall, I feel that I could have performed better. Firstly, despite the fact that I noticed on the first day of work that we ran out of paint remarkably quickly, I failed to inform our group’s IC about the situation and requested that more paint be bought on day 2. Thus, for the entirety of the 4 days, the same issue kept cropping up-we would paint 1 section of the wall very quickly, then realise that we do not have any more paint of left to paint another section of the wall, so we would have nothing to do while waiting for the paint to dry and for new paint to arrive. Had we brought with us sufficient quantities of paint from the outset, we could have painted the side walls in addition to the front walls of the classroom. In fact, we might have been able to paint another classroom as well. Another noteworthy activity was our farewell dances performed for the Thai students on the last day of our service at the school. 

    The highlight of the 6th day was a visit to the Royal Thai Air Force(RTAF) museum, which contains a comprehensive and well-curated collection of aircraft and other aviation paraphernalia used by RTAF personnel both past and present. The aircraft exhibited at the museum included the indigenously designed Boripatra (BT-2) light bomber, the British built Supermarine Spitfire famous for its role in World War II, the Soviet-designed MiG-21 fighters which performed excellently in the Vietnam War and the Swedish built SAAB Gripen that now forms the mainstay of the RTAF’s fighter force. Less famous but equally significant exhibits include the Curtiss 75 Hawk and Ki-36 trainers that saw action in the Franco-Thai War (1940-1941), which is part of World War II. The museum also provides details on Thai Involvement in the Second World War-they were, from December 1941, on the side of the Axis. 

    On the whole, while I have done something for the Thai students and learnt more about Thailand, I personally feel that the most important takeaway for me is my new knowledge about my personal shortcomings and about Thai culture. By learning from my shortcomings and emulating the admirable aspects of Thai Culture, I would learn to become a better person. 

IE Trip 2017 Bangkok, Thailand

By SSG Andrew Tan

WHAT IS IE?

The International Education(IE) trip is an annual overseas trip for Secondary 3 students in SJI. It is conducted in November. 

The aim of the IE trip is to allow SJI students to experience the feeling to "Raise ourselves by raising others." By participating in this overseas service project, students will be able to empower themselves by empowering those they help. By going overseas, students will step out of their comfort zone, and are able to learn and reflect from their participation in the Values In Action(VIA) component. Lastly, students will gain an appreciation for the culture of a different country.

At least half of the IE trip is required to be filled with a VIA component, for example by helping out at a local school. The other half can be used for cultural appreciation or R&R. 

MY IE EXPERIENCE

My IE journey started in late June, when I was appointed the OIC (Overall In-Charge) for NCC Air IE trip. I was daunted by the task of being responsible for an overseas trip. 

In the process of planning and preparing for the trip, we encountered many setbacks, for example only finding a suitable location for our VIA component in September. However, there was no way we could give up.

The entire IE experience has taught me many things. Firstly, the importance of speaking up. As IC, I had to speak to large groups of people, something which I was not naturally good at. However, I slowly learned to try to speak up more. This will enable me to excercise leadership more effectively.

Second, I learnt the importance of improvisation. During the trip, timings often did not match the planned timetable, and some flexibility was required. Thus, adaptibility and improvisation were important aspects that were required. These aspects are important when conducting any event.

Finally, I learnt that it is never a one-man-show. It was not only about the OICs. planning the trip. The teachers, OICs, respective committees, and tour agency all helped make the IE trip work. The mentality that we were different parts of the same body was important in coordinating the different parties to make the IE trip successful. 

The IE trip was a meaningful experience for me. It allowed me to learn several things that I would not have been able to learn in school, and I was also able to have a great time with my friends. I advise my juniors to go into the trip with an open mind, to be sincere, and to be ready to learn. I would definitely choose to participate in the IE trip again should the opportunity arise.