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SCHOLARS'

EXPERIENCE

People developer

To Lieutenant Colonel (LTC) Mikail Kalimuddin, Commanding Officer of 23rd Battalion Singapore Artillery, the most fulfilling part of the military profession is helping people develop personally and professionally.

His unit comprises a few hundred full-time National Servicemen (NSFs) who operate the Singapore Lightweight Howitzer and High Mobility Artillery Rocket System.

LTC Mikail takes pride in guiding the NSFs as they transform from trainees into effective tactical leaders in a matter of months.

“As they go through the training, they develop into individuals who are confident, calm under pressure, and able to command and control a team even in challenging situations,” he says.

“The skills and abilities they gained are for life. People development does not happen by chance — it takes energy and patience to motivate and train a conscripted group of individuals with different commitment levels.”

Continuous learning
LTC Mikail, a recipient of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) Scholarship, as well as the President’s Scholarship, holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics and Political Science and a master’s degree in Economics from Brown University in the United States.

Since he joined the Singapore Army nine years ago, LTC Mikail’s leadership experiences have seen him taking on appointments such as a commander leading artillery fi re missions, an instructor grooming new generations of leaders in Officer Cadet School, as well as a strategic planner involved in the future planning for the Army. He also makes sure he walks the talk of professional and personal development by taking on additional roles beyond his job scope. For example, he supported the National Day Parade in the area of branding and publicity in 2018. He was also provided numerous developmental opportunities through involvement in SAF projects, inter-ministry studies, and military and civil service courses.

“Being in the military demands an incredibly broad swathe of leadership skills — critical and creative thinking, role modelling, coaching, offering direction, managing people and systems, communicating effectively, and so on. This encourages the development of a holistic and wide range of leadership skills and styles.”