RSAF pilot C. Teeneshwaran bags Medal at Indian military college course

Source: The Straits Times
Author: Kolette Lim

SINGAPORE - Major C. Teeneshwaran is in his element in the sky. The Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) pilot has been flying the C-130 aircraft for 15 years and knows its controls, throttle and the low humming of its engines like the back of his hand.

So when he was grounded for 10 months during a military staff course in India, spending most of his time in lecture halls instead of cockpits, there were many times the 36-year-old felt out of his depth.

"It was academically very rigorous and demanding," said Major Teeneshwaran of his time in Wellington, Tamil Nadu. "Adding onto the need to adapt to a learning environment and the pressure to perform among a diverse group of international peers... I had to maintain a positive and resilient attitude."

He started attending the 79th Staff Course from June 5, 2023, at The Defence Services Staff College, one of India's oldest military institutions.

The college was founded in 1905, and its alumni include former Nigerian president Muhammadu Buhari and Fiji's Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka.

At its convocation ceremony on April 13, he was awarded the Southern Star Medal, which is presented to the best international student officer. A total of 36 international student officers from 27 nations took part in the course.

He is the third SAF officer to receive the Southern Star Medal. Typically, one SAF officer attends the course each year, but it is unclear when officers from Singapore first participated.

The honour caught him off guard, said Major Teeneshwaran, who was in the middle of a conversation when his name was announced.

"I just focused on doing everything well," he said of his time in India. "I made sure to do my best and give my 100 per cent for every assignment, and thankfully, that led to me emerging as the top student.

"It fills me with a lot of pride to have the opportunity to make Singapore proud, especially on an international platform. It also motivates me to continue striving for excellence in my future endeavours. It's been quite a gratifying and humbling experience."

The course, which aims to develop leadership skills and decision-making abilities, followed a six-day work week, said Major Teeneshwaran. It consisted of academic lectures on a range of military topics and simulation exercises.

He was also required to complete a master's in defence and strategic studies from Madras University as part of the course, which saw him dive into heavy research for his dissertation, which centred on China's emerging role on the global stage.

The most onerous task for Major Teeneshwaran, however, was a 25-minute speech that officers were required to deliver before an audience of about 150 people.

"Speaking to such a huge audience was a daunting task, and from the get-go, I wasn't very comfortable with public speaking," he said.

After a month of rehearsing, Major Teeneshwaran delivered his presentation smoothly, speaking about the ins-and-outs of the RSAF without a single cue card in hand.

His wife, Ms Park Jooyoung, 34, had quit her job as a content policy manager at X, formerly known as Twitter, to accompany him to the college thousands of miles away from home.

He called her presence a "major supporting boost" and said having her by his side was a "huge relief". "Anything revolving around the household, she took care of it, so I could focus on my workload."