Von Meyenburg Philip Christian Paul

Philip Von Meyenburg travels extensively throughout Asia for work and he has always found Singapore to be a safe and secure city. He knows the peace and security Singapore enjoys isn’t by chance, but due to people working hard to make this happen. He deeply appreciates the immense efforts of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) to ensure the people are protected and safe. So signing up for the SAF Volunteer Corps (SAFVC) seemed like the natural thing to do.

He first heard about the SAFVC over the radio back in 2014, his seventh year living in Singapore. Philip is a Swiss-German by birth and now a Singapore Permanent Resident. He still remembers the days where he was the only ‘Ang Moh’ in his block. “Nowadays, I see more new faces in the neighbourhood,” he adds. “I have my beer at the kopitiam because they know me there, and my barber also knows which part of my hair needs to be No. 1 (shave) when he hears that I’m going back to the Army.”

Philip is also glad to have signed up as he now has a deeper understanding of National Service. He was also able to better connect with his colleagues and the people around him, especially when they realise he is part of the SAFVC.

“Learning the Malay commands was quite a challenge for me during training but I adapted. I even got the chance to use some of the commands when they rotated me as platoon IC (in-charge),” he said.

Philip serves as an Auxiliary Security Trooper. He is proud to be able to contribute and support Singapore’s national defence. “It helps when we can serve in roles that support our active servicemen and NSmen. Everybody is responsible for Singapore and can play their part,” he said. With some of his colleagues also considering joining the SAFVC, Philip is not shy to share with them his two cents worth: “If you believe you can contribute, please apply and be a part of it.”

Background information

Von Meyenburg Philip Christian Paul
Client Partner
SAP Asia
Permanent Resident
SAFVC role: Auxiliary Security Trooper