SAF's first female sniper makes Exercise Wallaby debut after surprising family with sniper qualification

When Master Sargeant Chin Shi Lee completed the Singapore Armed Forces' (SAF) seven-week Basic Sniper Course earlier this year, her family had no idea she had been training to become a sniper. They found out only after she passed the course.

Now, less than a year after qualifying as a sniper and trainer, the SAF's first female sniper is taking part in Exercise Wallaby in Queensland, Australia, for the first time.

Her parents were "quite surprised" when she told them she had completed the course, said MSG Chin, a senior trainer at the Infantry Vocational Training School (IVTS).

While some of her friends knew she was undergoing sniper training and supported her throughout the process, her family only learnt about it after she had qualified.

MSG Chin enlisted in the SAF in 2019 and completed the seven-week SAF Basic Sniper Course in 2026.

Being the SAF's first female sniper may be a historic first, but MSG Chin said all snipers are held to the same standards regardless of gender.

"There are no differences between training a female sniper or a male sniper, as all of us train together and we have the same standards to uphold," MSG Chin told the media on Friday (Oct 23) after a live-firing session at Mulpha Axis.

"It's not about gender".

She hopes her experience will encourage more women to explore military vocations, even if they are unsure whether they belong in roles traditionally associated with men.

"I believe that our organisation is very open to everyone because our roles and responsibilities can be done by anyone, not only just men or women."

From outdoor pursuits to sniper training

MSG Chin's decision to join the SAF was driven by her interest in outdoor activities and physical exercise.

"Looking at the SAF career, it kind of aligns with what I want to go towards too," she said.

More than just marksmanship

While snipers are often perceived as marksmen who focus solely on shooting, MSG Chin said their responsibilities extend beyond hitting targets.

"One common misconception about snipers is that they only focus on shooting, but that is not the case," she said.

"They also do precision, target acquisition, as well as reconnaissance for our wider mission exercise."

Physical fitness is also essential, particularly during the stalking phase of sniper training, which MSG Chin described as one of the most demanding aspects of the vocation.

"You have to be able to carry a heavy load, which is about 70 per cent of my body weight," she said.

"You have to have the skills and the mental resilience to push through while maintaining the long outfield mission exercises."

As a senior trainer, MSG Chin also helps maintain training standards and develop personnel competencies for operations.

Her responsibilities include physical training, overseeing regular training routines and conducting exercises to prepare personnel from other units for their operational roles.

'As long as our mission requires, we'll remain there'

Another common perception of snipers is that they spend long hours hiding in one position, sometimes sitting in trees for as long as 16 hours while waiting for a shot.

MSG Chin said the reality depends on the requirements of the mission.

"It's not true because as long as our mission requires, we'll remain there," she said.

The role requires patience and adaptability, alongside the physical and mental endurance needed to sustain operations in the field.

Despite the demands of the vocation, MSG Chin said she has learnt to manage her schedule alongside her personal life.

"Being in this organisation, it definitely has some demanding schedules. But I believe that for us, we are very adaptable," she said.

"As long as we can manage our time schedule, we're able to do the things that we want to do."

今年早些时候，当陈诗丽中士完成新加坡武装部队为期七周的基础狙击手课程时，她的家人并不知道她一直在接受狙击手训练。直到她通过课程后，他们才得知此事。

现在，在获得狙击手和教官资格不到一年后，新加坡武装部队的第一位女狙击手首次参加了在澳大利亚昆士兰州举行的“袋鼠”演习。

步兵职业训练学校 (IVTS) 的高级教官陈中士说，当她告诉父母她已经完成了课程时，他们“相当惊讶”。

虽然她的一些朋友知道她正在接受狙击手训练，并在整个过程中支持她，但她的家人直到她取得资格后才知道这件事。

陈中士于 2019 年加入新加坡武装部队，并于 2026 年完成了为期七周的新加坡武装部队基础狙击手课程。

成为新加坡武装部队首位女狙击手或许是历史性的开端，但陈军士长表示，所有狙击手无论性别都遵循相同的标准。

“训练女狙击手和男狙击手没有任何区别，因为我们都一起训练，并且要坚持同样的标准，”陈军士长周五（10月23日）在穆尔法轴线进行实弹射击训练后告诉媒体。

“这与性别无关”。

她希望自己的经历能够鼓励更多女性探索军事职业，即使她们不确定自己是否适合传统上与男性相关的角色。

“我相信我们组织对每个人都非常开放，因为我们的角色和职责可以由任何人担任，而不仅仅是男性或女性。”

从户外运动到狙击训练

秦中士加入新加坡武装部队的决定是出于她对户外活动和体育锻炼的兴趣。

“从新加坡武装部队的职业发展来看，这与我想要追求的目标也颇为契合，”她说。

不仅仅是射击技巧

虽然狙击手通常被认为是只专注于射击的神枪手，但陈军士长表示，他们的职责不仅限于击中目标。

“人们对狙击手的一个常见误解是他们只专注于射击，但事实并非如此，”她说。

“他们还为我们更广泛的任务演习进行精确打击、目标获取和侦察。”

体能也至关重要，尤其是在狙击手训练的潜伏阶段，MSG Chin 将其描述为该职业中最具挑战性的方面之一。

“你必须能够背负重物，这大约是我体重的 70%。”她说。

“你必须具备相应的技能和心理韧性，才能在长时间的野外任务演习中坚持下去。”

作为一名高级教官，陈军士长还负责维护训练标准，并培养作战人员的能力。

她的职责包括体能训练、监督日常训练以及组织演习，使其他单位的人员做好作战准备。

“只要我们的任务需要，我们就会一直待在那里。”

人们对狙击手的另一个常见看法是，他们会长时间躲藏在一个位置，有时甚至会在树上坐上 16 个小时等待射击机会。

陈军士长表示，实际情况取决于任务的需要。

“这不是真的，只要我们的任务需要，我们就会一直待在那里，”她说。

该职位需要耐心和适应能力，以及在野外执行任务所需的体力和精神耐力。

尽管这份职业要求很高，但陈女士表示，她已经学会了如何在工作和个人生活之间找到平衡。

“在这个机构工作，确实会面临一些高强度的工作安排。但我相信我们适应能力很强，”她说道。

“只要我们能合理安排时间，就能做我们想做的事情。”