Ting Hui Shan

I joined the SAF Volunteer Corps (SAFVC) because I did not want to take Singapore’s defence for granted. I saw this as an opportunity to learn more about our defence and give back to Singapore. My husband, Nicolas, had joined the inaugural SAFVC intake and I was motivated to follow in his footsteps. Together, we want to inspire our children to serve our country in future and have an appreciation of the military.

I certainly got more than I asked for from being part of the SAFVC family, and got a better insight into what our army does to keep Singapore safe. The training was always put into context so that we always understood what we were doing and why we were doing it. For instance, it included taking us through the history of the Singapore in WWI/WWII.

The training was eye-opening, intensive and fun all at the same time. All the volunteers were thankful to have extremely dedicated trainers who guided and encouraged us along the way. Another aspect that I truly appreciated about being in the SAFVC was the opportunity to meet people from vastly different backgrounds. The age range of the volunteers is from 18-45 years, including new citizens and PRs who came from all over the world. The bonds that we have forged are something that we will remember and treasure.

Friends and family reacted to my decision to join the SAFVC with a mixture of curiosity, bewilderment, and amazement. While the initial reaction of many of my Singaporean male friends would be to wonder why I would volunteer, after going through the SAFVC Basic Training, I found that we were able to connect in a way that we could not before, as I could better appreciate what they had gone through. Thereafter, they would say that they wished their partners could experience it too!

Background information

Ting Hui Shan
Software Engineer
Goldman Sachs
Singapore Citizen
SAFVC role: Auxiliary Security Trooper