Beyond the Frontlines

Written by Amos Choo

PHOTO & GRAPHIC: Amos Choo

The enlistment letter arrived earlier than expected, cutting short Austin’s post A-levels plan of enjoying his hobbies—art and music—before NS. While most of his friends enlisted into the Singapore Armed Forces, he found himself joining the Singapore Police Force, an unfamiliar territory that left him uncertain about what lay ahead.

During those first weeks, he experienced the typical nervousness of adapting to uniformed service, but also something he had never encountered elsewhere - learning basic criminal law.

After the Police Officer Basic Course, he joined the Ministry of Home Affairs Headquarters (MHQ) as a Staff Assistant. He had only heard of Staff Assistants being posted to Police land divisions and had no idea that they could end up at MHQ. “The work of a Staff Assistant would be mundane and unfulfilling,” he thought, dreading the journey ahead. It turned out exactly the opposite. The breadth of work surprised him. Rarely monotonous, there was always something new to navigate.

Finding Purpose in Service

Austin’s work supports operational, engagement and organisational development needs. PHOTO: Amos Choo

At the Human Resource Division's (HRD) NS Contact Centre, he ensured Operationally Ready National Servicemen received timely support for an extensive range of queries: from Physical Employment Standard reviews to NS call-up issues — work that supports operational needs.

He identified areas of repetitive work and applied his coding skills to develop automated processes that improved efficiency in query handling. One key achievement was reducing manual query case creation from over a minute to approximately ten seconds per case, earning him the Exemplary HRDian Award for Innovation. “It's satisfying and reassuring to know my innovative efforts have tangibly improved our work environment,” he reflected.

However, his responsibilities soon changed after his team’s reorganisation into NS Comms & Engagement (NSCE), and the management of queries from Home Team National Servicemen was outsourced. Seeing Austin’s experience and abilities, his supervisors asked him to train the outsourced agents.

Austin (right) collaborates with his colleagues to find practical middle ground when addressing challenges. PHOTO: Amos Choo

Balancing agent requests for comprehensive training materials against team capacity constraints, he worked with his team to develop guides for each work system, knowledge bases for case types and post-training quizzes. This approach allowed them to refine training progressively with each batch, making it more effective and earning appreciation from both experienced and new agents.

Austin’s NS journey took him far beyond what he initially expected of a Staff Assistant role. PHOTO: Amos Choo

After the agents were trained, Austin was exposed to communications and engagement work. From designing communication materials and campaigns to conducting surveys and focus group discussions, he was an integral part of the team working on enhancing engagement of National Servicemen. The team also drew on his passion for design to create the homepage banner for the MHA NS Portal, a lasting mark on a public platform used by every Home Team National Serviceman. 

Through it all, Austin developed skills he never anticipated — from automation and design to communication, decision-making and leadership.

Looking Ahead

After completing his full-time NS stint earlier this year, Austin decided to take on a short-term temporary stint in NSCE before starting university. He now works on key upcoming and ongoing engagement initiatives and assists in communications efforts. His decision stems from having found the work meaningful, the strong bonds he has built with his teammates and HRD's people-first culture.

Beyond the interesting job scope, Austin enjoyed HRD’s culture and the strong bonds he has built with his teammates. PHOTO: Amos Choo

He feels that his NS journey has opened his eyes to a world of opportunities he never expected to discover. “Looking back, I'm both shocked and pleased at how much I've developed and grown.”

“To future Police National Servicemen in similar roles, don't take this opportunity for granted! Wherever you are posted, there are opportunities to learn and grow. The relationships you build and skills you develop will extend far beyond these two years. Keep an open mind. Your NS experience is what you make of it,” he advised.

Austin also hopes that people appreciate and acknowledge the hard work done by colleagues working behind the scenes, like Staff Assistants. They may not be at the frontline, but their contributions are no less vital to the Home Team's mission.