The soldier is keeping watch.

It is hot, humid and uncomfortable. The thick coat of moisture hangs in the still air. The mid morning sun is relentless. The soldier stares into the distance, trying his best to stay alert, even as his eyes squint in the bright daylight, and sweat rolls down his back.

The middle of the night watch is the hardest. The body not accustomed to staying awake at the wee hours, screams for sleep. The soldier looks into the dark of the night, even as the lights of our city shines brightly. The soldier will try to remember the shapes of the silhouettes, so that he can detect any changes and sound the alarm.

Keeping watch is a dull, dirty and dangerous job. You stay awake and alert for that “just in case moment”. Everyday, our NSFs and NSmen are keeping watch and staying vigilant. They are trained and armed to do so. They are deployed at the frontlines, in many important facilities in Singapore — the Changi Airports, Jurong Islands and also military camps. Some may be confined to camp. They are keeping a high alert status because the threat is real. And they know that when the button is pressed, bullets will fly and lives are at stake.

LCP Muhd Ilham is a trooper from 9 SIR. One of his job is to protect Jurong Island — an important petro-chemical refinery complex for Singapore. Ilham says this about his job, “I take the security operations that I am tasked with seriously, as I know what I am doing is keeping my loved ones and fellow Singaporeans safe. This makes me proud of what I do.”

There are many more Ilhams. NSFs and NSmen who take their training seriously, and do their job professionally. Often, we are shy to admit it. Our reflex is to criticise and grumble. But the soldier is keeping watch, doing the dull and the dangerous because he knows it is important, and it matters. I say that we celebrate the soldier keeping watch, because he is doing his job, and it matters.