New Citizen is a Hero

[David]

NSF officer wins nation's top award for saving a recruit's life By Jermyn Chow PHOTO: JOSEPH NAIR FOR THE STRAITS TIMES SECOND-LIEUTENANT Kok Khew Fai was overseeing a grenade-throwing exercise earlier this year when he saw one of the live explosives slip through the hand of a recruit.

It landed just 4m away, and the pair had six seconds before it went off.

RELATED LINKS I DID WHAT I HAD TO DO So, the platoon commander from the Basic Military Training Centre (BMTC) pushed the recruit to the ground and threw himself over him.

The next three seconds were probably the longest of 2nd LT Kok's life.

'My mind was blank, but I was also worried that the recruit was not protected properly,' he said.

The grenade exploded, and while shrapnel flew over their heads, the pair escaped unscathed.

Yesterday, the 20-year-old 2nd Lt Kok became the first full-time national serviceman (NSF) to receive the nation's top award for courage - the SAF Medal for Distinguished Act.

He enters the rarefied turf - already occupied by six others, all regular servicemen - for saving the life of a recruit under his command.

Defence Minister Teo Chee Hean pinned the medal on 2nd Lt Kok's chest and recounted his act of bravery to 263 officer cadets who graduated from the Singapore Armed Forces Officer Cadet School. Mr Teo called 2nd Lt Kok a 'brave and selfless' officer who 'performed his duty resolutely'. He ' led his men into action, and protected them when in danger'.

The proud parents of the newly minted hero were present at yesterday's ceremony. His father said he was not surprised by his son's selfless act.

'He has been a very responsible, quick-witted and alert boy since he was young,' said shipyard foreman Kok Hon Kuan, 51.

But the Kok clan - which includes two other children - was shocked when they first heard six months ago that 2nd Lt Kok came within a hair of losing his life.

On March 8, he was the safety officer supervising a platoon of 50 recruits from BMTC School 1 during a grenade-throwing drill in Pulau Tekong.

They were throwing grenades from a walled-off platform towards the grenade range. Under 2nd Lt Kok's watch, one recruit armed an explosive. But when he went to throw it, the explosive slipped from his hand and landed on the ground behind them.

After spotting the mishap, 2nd Lt Kok threw himself on top of the recruit to shield him from the blast. The high walls of the grenade-throwing bay ensured that both men were not in the direct line of the explosion. But 2nd Lt Kok was exposed and could have been hit by deflected shrapnel, which could go as far as 25m.

He was stunned - but fleetingly - and the exercise was halted as medical personnel tended to him. 'It was only then that I realised I was so close to being killed,' he said.

Both 2nd Lt Kok and the recruit suffered only minor scrapes.

The grenade-throwing exercise is considered an integral part of the three- month basic military training. 'It's a rite of passage for a soldier,' said BMTC School 1 commanding officer Lieutenant-Colonel Loong Tean Yuan.

He said recruits are taught how to throw a grenade and how to react if it lands near them. Only those who are deemed medically and mentally fit can throw grenades. Those with sweaty palms wear specially designed gloves to throw the grenade, he added.

This is only the sixth accident involving a grenade in the 41-year history of national service. One person died in 1970 when a live grenade exploded in his hands.

In two months, 2nd Lt Kok will complete his full-time national service and go on to study aerospace engineering at Nanyang Technological University.

The Malaysia-born officer - he got his Singapore citizenship in May last year - still has not got used to his status as a hero. 'I'm not a hero, I did what I had to do to keep him safe. Everyone else would have done the same thing,' he said.

[Niteblu]

Kudos.

Malaysians are practically Singaporeans anyway...

 

I'm afraid I can't say the same for our other FTs...

[Nullifi3d]

And they say you only get to throw a live grenade once in your life.

 

I see my mono intake men do it so many times for their ATEC stage 1.

[Corgan]

so did the recruit kenna extra?

 

But kudos to the officer.

[Mzrmazda3]

to this selfless young officer

[Getzoooom]

yeah!

be it a malaysian or a singaporean, what he did was indeed selfless and brave!

He deserved the award for sure!

[Watwheels]

Chey got high wall blocking the explosion from them.

 

So drama. Reminds me of the old NS show of SBC, Xin Bin Xiao Chuan. But that one is Ociffer cover the grenade with his helmet with his body on top of it(cos dropped behind high wall). I think that was a true story also.

Edited September 15, 2008 by Watwheels

[David]

Kudos.

Malaysians are practically Singaporeans anyway...

 

I'm afraid I can't say the same for our other FTs...

Had this soldier not done what he did, I wonder what you would have said.

[Brock]

Confirm kena. Last time when I was in BMT, my platoon mate did the same thing. Heng the officer grabbed him by the SBO and pulled him over to the the other side of the wall. BOOM! The officer brought him up and said "It's ok." But go back camp, kena 'tekan' like siao. Not charged but kena change parade and standby parade. I remember had to standby 200 boots. Sabo the entire company. Had to loan him our boots as well. He kena extra(s) also.

[Watwheels]

Treat it as a learning process...for everyone in your platoon including your PC.

[Leepee]

Would it be faster to pick up the granade and throw it infront of the concrete wall?

 

FT area indeed invading Singapore....now a recent citizen has won the highest SAFawards....what's next?

 

True blue Singaporeans are slacking lately.

[Watwheels]

The hero award should go to u...

 

 

So must a stupidity award that comes with it.

[Rickster]

Young lady..u know wat u r talking about ornot? U watch too much rambo shows!

 

Pls...for goodness sake! Wat do u expect? True blu singaporeans running around hurling grenades out of the grenade bay like rambo???

[Trex101]

This 2LT Kok Khew Fai deserve our utmost respect for his act of bravery and selflessness. I Salute him.

[Boyboy]

Kudos.

Malaysians are practically Singaporeans anyway...

 

I'm afraid I can't say the same for our other FTs...

Had this soldier not done what he did, I wonder what you would have said.

 

hm.. this case i can say clear cut news, i won't shoot the media. of course happily, it happens to be non-local-born singaporean, bonus for PAP.

 

kudos to this true hero

[Boyboy]

four meters away. either you never read or u never throw grenade before or you are dumb.

 

maybe all three la

[Mazdaowner]

Indeed a brave and selfless act. But in the end, (no offense to the officer) the medal will end up

as a worthless piece of metal. Just as in the case of all who put in so much effort, sweat and blood

for this country. It was a good thing he wasn't injured.

 

Just another piece of cloth on the uniform.

[Fcw75]

Errmm, the grenade landed 4m behind them. Only got 6 seconds to get off the bay, pick up the grenade and throw it over the bay. What if the grenade explode in mid air?

 

You talk like so easy, why dun you give us a live demonstration with a live grenade? Talk is cheap.

 

You got serve NS or not?

 

I respect the officer too.