S'pore's 1st female sniper, 27, says it's misconception that snipers only need to shoot

27-year-old Chin Shi Lee made up her mind to join the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) in her final year in polytechnic, after she attended Army recruitment drive.

Fast forward to today, Chin is now a master sergeant and Singapore's first female sniper.

She's currently in Australia for Exercise Wallaby, training a new generation of sharpshooters as a senior sniper trainer.

Her SAF journey was published in an article by Pioneer on Oct. 24.

Did not aim to become a sniper at the start

Chin did not aim to become a sniper at the start, Pioneer noted.

But her interest grew over time as her shooting improved.

When Chin indicated her interest to join the Sniper Wing, she received support from both her commanders and peers.

The selection process, however, was gruelling: candidates undergo "intense physical and mental evaluations" that not only assesses their marksmanship, but also their stress resilience, cognitive sharpness, and field survival capabilities.

Chin told Pioneer and The Straits Times (ST) that stalking training is the most demanding part of becoming a sniper.

Stalking training, a fundamental part of becoming a sniper, focuses on "fieldcraft, concealment, and stealth".

This means that snipers have to navigate terrains undetected, observe high-value targets over extended distances, and execute their mission without giving away their positions, Pioneer explained.

Encourages women to give it a shot

It's a misconception that snipers just need to focus on shooting, Chin said.

She elaborated that a good sniper needs to have three Ps: patience, precision and perseverance.

Even when one is physically exhausted, a sniper has to remain focused and disciplined in order to push through and maintain the high standards they've set for themselves.

She told ST that the sniper training is the same for both men and women, and encouraged women to give it a shot.

While being the first female sniper is something she's proud of, Chin most values earning trust and respect from her teammates through her performance.

Exercise Wallaby

Exercise Wallaby is SAF's largest overseas unilateral exercise and it's held in Shoalwater Bay Training Area in Queensland, Australia.

This year marks the 36th edition of Exercise Wallaby, which started on Sep. 6 and will end on Nov. 2, 2026.

Approximately five times the size of Singapore, the training area allows the SAF to test its full range of capabilities and conduct integrated training that cannot be replicated in Singapore, the Ministry of Defence said.

About 6,000 personnel and 1,200 platforms from the Singapore Army, the Republic of Singapore Air Force and the Digital and Intelligence Service were involved in this year's exercise.