LTC (NS) Sim Meng San, recipient of the Gold Meritorious Service Award, reflects on his volunteering experience at HomeTeamNS, and the value of the illustrious title he now holds.

A: 2 years ago, I had received the Silver Meritorious Service Award and was not expecting anything this year. It was a genuine surprise being awarded with the Gold Meritorious Service Award that night. It was also at the event that dawned upon me, that there is only one such award presented every 2 years. It is an unimaginable privilege.

A: While it led me to question the significance of my contributions towards HomeTeamNS, I also came to understand that the award was not an accumulation of my contributions, neither was it a symbol representing the pinnacle of my personal achievement. Instead, it was the organisation’s act of putting trust and faith in me, to continue contributing my best in pushing the NS mission to more NSmen. I am extremely grateful and humbled by the faith placed upon me but also keenly aware of the responsibilities entrusted.

A: In my capacity as a volunteer, fellow NSman and as a friend, I am hoping to encourage more volunteers to embark on this NS journey, to continue building camaraderie among all Home Team NSmen.

Through my volunteering years, I have made many friends from both Singapore Police Force and Singapore Civil Defence Force. These friends have offered guidance, wisdom and most importantly, a listening ear. Over the years, I realised that when I offer help to resolve any issues, these solutions somehow returned to solve my own problems. Thus, I urge fellow NSmen to join volunteering at HomeTeamNS.

With a stronger Home Team, we stand ready to protect and safeguard a place we call Home.