A 32-year-old mother of two has become the first woman to successfully complete the 12-week long Singapore Police Force's (SPF) Tactical Course for the Police Tactical Unit within the Special Operations Command (SOC).

According to a press release by the SPF, Candy Ko graduated on Apr. 23, 2024, along with 63 others from the Tactical Course.

Ko was also the parade commander for the graduation ceremony, which saw her and her batchmates presented with a red beret by the commander of the SOC, Senior Assistant Commissioner of Police (SAC) Arthur Law.

Gained 27kg before giving birth to her son in 2022, found running 1km difficult at first

According to Ko, she joined the police in 2014.

Initially, she served as an investigation officer at Jurong Police Division for two years, then as an Emergency Response Team (ERT) team leader at Central Police Division for two years.

Ko was then posted as an Operations Training Officer to the Training Command Frontline Policing Training School from 2019 to 2024.

Ko added that it was here where she was inspired to join SOC, as this posting taught her how training and police operations go together.

However, a major challenge she faced was her fitness, especially after giving birth to two kids.

Ko was quoted as saying:

"I was exempted from the Individual Physical Proficiency Test (IPPT) for almost four years, and I’d gained 27kg just before giving birth to my son in 2022!"

Even running a single kilometre was a challenge, she added.

Final challenge of the course was a 16km route march with weighted vests and weapons

As physical fitness is a baseline requirement for a SOC trooper, Ko said she began training months before the posting cycle.

"Thankfully, with supportive colleagues training with me, I managed to attain IPPT Gold prior to my posting to SOC," she said.

When asked about a particularly challenging aspect of the course, Ko cited the training's final 16km route march, while wearing weighted vests and carrying weapons.

It was the last milestone just before completing the entire course.

"I’m not a fan of running, and this was the longest distance I’ve covered on foot," she said.

She added that while everyone was initially high-spirited, as fatigue kicked in, some people started slowing down.

"I questioned why I was doing this when I could be in an air-conditioned office! However, by reminding myself why I joined the SOC, and with the encouragement from my troopmates, we completed the march together, with aching bodies and blistered feet," she said.

However, no one fell out and several of her troopmates told her afterwards they respected her for persevering and inspiring them to do the same.

"At that moment, it dawned on me that I’d unknowingly made an impact through my actions, even though I’m not the fastest or the fittest in the troop," she said.

Husband: Ko juggled training with taking care of her children

Meanwhile her husband, Benjamin Alexander Chua, said in a blog post that Ko had also continued to juggle her childcare responsibilities throughout her training.

Chua, who is an officer in the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF), shared that he was unequivocal in his support when she asked him if she could go for the Tactical Course.

He wrote:

"In fact, I have no reason to say no. When I had to go for my in-camp training (in 2021), she was pregnant and my elder child was still undergoing (kidney) dialysis. I was merely returning the support that she had given me."

Ko added that he would take care of their children during the weekdays, while Ko would do so when she returned from training on the weekends.

Ko would also share with him the various challenges she faced.

According to Chua, she tell him how tired she was with all her body aches and blisters due to the training.

"On top of that, she had to earn the respect of all the other males in a testosterone-charged environment," he added.

However, despite the physical changes she experienced from giving birth to two children, and the years of fatigue accumulated from caring for her children at night, she persevered in keeping up with the training.

Husband offered to donate kidney to their daughter

Chua also said he was glad that Ko did not donate her kidney for their elder daughter as it could have affected her posting.

He pointed out, "When I donated my kidney, I was surprised to be downgraded in PES. I raised my concerns as I do not wish to be discounted and was given a lot of assurance from my superiors."

Chua added that he is also concerned about the fact that a donated kidney can only last for a "limited" time and that Ko will eventually have to donate her kidney once his own is rejected by their child's body.

"That said, I am glad she had achieved this milestone in her career, without being limited in any way (at least for now)," he wrote.

Ko: Don't be afraid to aim for your dreams

As for Ko herself, when asked about advice she would give to other woman who are looking to pursue a career, she said:

"Although I’m still undergoing training to become a full-fledged SOC trooper, I’m working towards it. I encourage those who wish to join the SOC to not be afraid and aim for their goals."

In terms of contributions that women can bring to the Police Tactical Unit, Ko said:

"We all have different skills and perspectives based on our past experiences and it’d be difficult to categorise them based on gender.

Some female officers may not rely as much on physical prowess to achieve certain objectives. This encourages alternative approaches to be considered alongside brute force, which then adds to the range of tactical options."

Top photo via SOC