Mei Yi, who is a Senior Lieutenant-Colonel in the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF), would like to see more women joining the military and other traditionally male-dominated professions. She said in a media interview she hoped that by sharing her story it would ‘help other women see that this is a possible path to aspire to’.

She herself was inspired by the many role models she had growing up. At Raffles Girls’ School, she noticed that many of her seniors had opted for careers in public service. The school encouraged its students to take part in community service and contribute to the common good, and this instilled in Mei Yi the idea of serving the nation.

“Also, in an all-girls school, we had to do things ourselves,” she said. “The teachers taught us to be independent girls, encouraged us to dream big and pursue our ambitions. To their credit, I seldom think of gender as a barrier to achieve my goals.”

In her final year at junior college, Mei Yi attended a career fair and met alumni who had joined the Singapore Armed Forces. Their passion for their work and for serving the country was so evident that she decided to find out more about a military career. Her parents, who had always given her the freedom to pursue her own interests, were fully supportive.

After her A levels, Mei Yi applied to join the RSAF. She chose the air force because she wanted to serve as a combat officer. Flying, which depends more on psychomotor skills, quick thinking, and technical knowledge than on physical strength, offered her the best scope for this. And, she said, “I was also attracted to the RSAF’s image as an innovative, technologically advanced and forward-thinking organisation.”

Mei Yi won a Mindef scholarship to pursue a BA in Economics at the University of Chicago, after which she went to Columbia University and got a Master of Arts in Political Science. She then began a three-year pilot training programme that included stints in Australia, France, and the US.

During her Basic Wings Course, Mei Yi got a taste of fighter flying and she was hooked. When she had the opportunity to go on the Fighter Wings Course, she did not hesitate. She knew it would be tough, but she also knew she would deeply regret it if she did not seize the opportunity.

“I wanted to try to be the best that I could be. I’ve never looked back since. I get to operate a lethal warfighting machine, lead my wingmen in realistic missions during large-scale exercises, and defend the skies of Singapore. Now, my greatest joy and honour is to command 140 Squadron. I lead an awesome team of fighter pilots and air force engineers, and amongst them is another female F-16 pilot, Captain Gwendolyn Chen.”

A critical mass of women is steadily building in the Singapore Armed Forces, Mei Yi says, and this will ensure that the momentum for positive change within the military will keep pace with, or move even more faster than, societal norms.

“I believe that it takes an enlightened leadership to recognise the value that females bring and to steer an organisation to be more inclusive. The top-down endorsement will then give traction in all echelons to change the policies and infrastructure, allowing women to contribute equally. The SAF has long held such beliefs and welcomed females in combat vocations decades ago.

“When I was young pilot, I felt the strong endorsement from the mostly male RSAF leadership. That endorsement percolated to the fighter squadrons, which knew that they had to be accepting of females in their midst.

“Society has evolved and my peers are used to seeing strong women in leadership positions. Also, the military is a highly professional organisation built on meritocracy. We are judged based on our capability and performance, hence reducing gender frictions.”

Mei Yi’s appointment as commanding officer of a fighter squadron came nearly 20 years after Singapore’s first female fighter pilot – Khoo Teh Lynn – became a fighter pilot. Teh Lynn, who got her wings in 2003, was inducted to the SWHF in 2014.

Mei Yi, who is a Senior Lieutenant-Colonel in the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF), would like to see more women joining the military and other traditionally male-dominated professions. She said in a media interview she hoped that by sharing her story it would ‘help other women see that this is a possible path to aspire to’.

She herself was inspired by the many role models she had growing up. At Raffles Girls’ School, she noticed that many of her seniors had opted for careers in public service. The school encouraged its students to take part in community service and contribute to the common good, and this instilled in Mei Yi the idea of serving the nation.

“Also, in an all-girls school, we had to do things ourselves,” she said. “The teachers taught us to be independent girls, encouraged us to dream big and pursue our ambitions. To their credit, I seldom think of gender as a barrier to achieve my goals.”

In her final year at junior college, Mei Yi attended a career fair and met alumni who had joined the Singapore Armed Forces. Their passion for their work and for serving the country was so evident that she decided to find out more about a military career. Her parents, who had always given her the freedom to pursue her own interests, were fully supportive.

After her A levels, Mei Yi applied to join the RSAF. She chose the air force because she wanted to serve as a combat officer. Flying, which depends more on psychomotor skills, quick thinking, and technical knowledge than on physical strength, offered her the best scope for this. And, she said, “I was also attracted to the RSAF’s image as an innovative, technologically advanced and forward-thinking organisation.”

Mei Yi won a Mindef scholarship to pursue a BA in Economics at the University of Chicago, after which she went to Columbia University and got a Master of Arts in Political Science. She then began a three-year pilot training programme that included stints in Australia, France, and the US.

During her Basic Wings Course, Mei Yi got a taste of fighter flying and she was hooked. When she had the opportunity to go on the Fighter Wings Course, she did not hesitate. She knew it would be tough, but she also knew she would deeply regret it if she did not seize the opportunity.

“I wanted to try to be the best that I could be. I’ve never looked back since. I get to operate a lethal warfighting machine, lead my wingmen in realistic missions during large-scale exercises, and defend the skies of Singapore. Now, my greatest joy and honour is to command 140 Squadron. I lead an awesome team of fighter pilots and air force engineers, and amongst them is another female F-16 pilot, Captain Gwendolyn Chen.”

A critical mass of women is steadily building in the Singapore Armed Forces, Mei Yi says, and this will ensure that the momentum for positive change within the military will keep pace with, or move even more faster than, societal norms.

“I believe that it takes an enlightened leadership to recognise the value that females bring and to steer an organisation to be more inclusive. The top-down endorsement will then give traction in all echelons to change the policies and infrastructure, allowing women to contribute equally. The SAF has long held such beliefs and welcomed females in combat vocations decades ago.

“When I was young pilot, I felt the strong endorsement from the mostly male RSAF leadership. That endorsement percolated to the fighter squadrons, which knew that they had to be accepting of females in their midst.

“Society has evolved and my peers are used to seeing strong women in leadership positions. Also, the military is a highly professional organisation built on meritocracy. We are judged based on our capability and performance, hence reducing gender frictions.”

Mei Yi’s appointment as commanding officer of a fighter squadron came nearly 20 years after Singapore’s first female fighter pilot – Khoo Teh Lynn – became a fighter pilot. Teh Lynn, who got her wings in 2003, was inducted to the SWHF in 2014.