Mother of 2 serves as coxswain aboard Singapore Navy's first Sentinel-class OPV
Angela Chan, a 46-year-old mother of two, now serves as coxswain aboard one of the Republic of Singapore Navy's four new Sentinel-class offshore patrol vessels, the first of which was launched on Thursday. She did not plan on a life at sea. After finishing a diploma in Electronics, Computer and Communications, she spent roughly six months in a regular job and concluded office work was not for her. An advertisement promising sun, sand and sea drew her to the Navy, and she told AsiaOne she has never looked back.
While Military Expert 4 Angela Chan may be a seasoned sailor now, she once pursued a more conventional career path.The 46-year-old mother-of-two shared with AsiaOne that she studied engineering before entering the workforce, graduating with a diploma in Electronics, Computer and Communications.She worked in the industry for about six months before realising that office work did not suit her, ME4 Chan said.Drawn to the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) by an advertisement featuring the sun, sand and sea, she decided to join the Navy and has never looked back.Now, she serves as coxswain aboard one of four new Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs). The first of the vessels was launched on Thursday (Oct 1).Dubbed Sentinel, the Sentinel-class vessel was launched at the Fassmer shipyard at Berne, Germany, during a ceremony officiated by Defence Minister Chan Chun Sing.German Federal Minister of Defence Boris Pistorius, Chief of German Navy Vice Admiral Wilhelm Tobias Abry and the RSN's Chief of Navy Rear Admiral Sean Wat were among those who attended the event.