2LT Keith Phua

 


You are an absolute mess. Literally. Your room is crazily arranged, it kind of smells a bit musky,

and your uniforms have been reused to an uncountable amount. But you know what,

you’re still an absolutely solid buddy. Even though we aren't technically buddies, you were there for me

in the grittiest, the worst, and the best of times. Holy crap I can't even imagine how the journey would

have ended up if you weren't here.


Never did I expect to get along so well with a 21-year-old 3SG commando guy living opposite my room.

Our first time interacting being when we talked about anime and realized how much of degenerates we

were. From there, we only became closer as friends as my negativity and your overwhelming positivity

balanced things out.


One thing you have to appreciate about yourself is your ability to move on, forget, and forgive, something I struggle a lot with. My worry, pent-up anger, and regret hold me down like a weight tied to my ankles. However, it is with you around that when I go through these things, you would remind me to snap out of it, to focus on the now, and move on. A skill that is so hard for me to grasp, yet something you’ve always instinctively had in you. 


Another thing is your commitment to brotherhood. Although it was tough for you to do this in Alpha, I do hope that you are able to show your men the same care and brotherhood you showed to me during our time here.


Despite your often surface-level comments or your stupid/ inappropriate jokes, I know that you have a pure heart. A heart that yearns to be jumping out of planes, diving into the deepest of waters, with the most chilling of temperatures. You are an absolute mad man, I’ll give you that. Make sure you continue having a burning passion and never give up on your ambitions and dreams. I hope to see you somewhere at the top of a leaderboard in an SAF building.


I’ve had a blast of a time with you there by my side, walking the longest of routes, in the thickest of jungles, and in the worst of seasons. Hopefully, when we look back at this in 30 years, it won’t be just a 200-word essay, but a treasure chest filled with memories to be looked back at.

If not, I wish you all the best Keith.









Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

2LT Justin Kam

Image
2LT Justin was once a recruit in BMT, not knowing anything about army, who dropped his rifle and got destroyed for it. Who was completely clueless what "wayang" "limpeh" and "liao gas" meant. In OCS, he found a home in tango, enjoyed his time there, meeting many there who shared similar thoughts, ideals and values. It was... comfortable for him. In Pro Term, he was posted to Alpha. A new environment that was unfamilar,. As he went through Alpha, to his dissapointment it was not as easy as Tango was. The way we would do things now were completely different. Everybody was different. At first, he saw it as something that would make him dread his time in OCS. However, slowly but surely, he realised that he himself was imperfect and that he needed to change the way he did things. It was only when he was put under the heat of an uncomfortable environment, that he was able to be moulded into something greater than himself. He gained an appreciation for Alpha, as ...
Read more

LTA Jian Wei , CPT Boo Yan Kiat

Image
Two of my biggest inspirations as I integrated into OCS and Tango specifically. I don't think I'd be the person I am today if it weren't for them. They taught me how to be a leader that is fair and merciful. Both have shown me a great level of compassion, deciding not to punish us when we make mistakes, but to make sure we understood the significance of those mistakes.  The point was not to see us suffer, but it was clear that their intention was to see us succeed. They had a way of accomplishing their tasks in a proficient manner despite their lack of "tough love". It showed me that as a commander, winning the respect of my men was the most important thing. With respect, there wouldn't be the issue of worrying about whether they would listen to me or not, and having to burn them and watch them suffer in order for a task to be completed. When you are able to convince your team that your goal is worth it, and that you are someone they would want to root for, th...
Read more

Major Chan Eng Soon

Image
  A man with conviction. An influence on me and others alike. A man with a great heart, that laughs, celebrates, and weeps with his men. A man that understands his people's needs and is willing to make the hard decisions, which undoubtedly could cost him the respect of his peers and subordinates, to ensure that they end up at the finish line safe and sound. “The people who truly care about you don't have to tell you they care.” Truly a representation of the soft-spoken, but big-hearted major. Thank you, Major Chan, you’ve impacted our lives, and we will carry the culture you’ve instilled in us over to wherever we go.
Read more