“Being A Bridge Builder”: A Singapore West Point Graduate Embodies East And West

Christopher Lo was born in Singapore in 1971. His father had served in the British military during operations in Malaya and later worked as a travel agent. His mother was a nurse. When Chris was 13, two events shaped his life. His mother died, and he joined the National Police Cadet Corps, an organization that helped define his future. When his mother died, his whole family unraveled. Chris suppressed his grief and became a delinquent. This all occurred during the challenging period of adolescence. Two years later, at 15, he was appointed to a leadership position in the National Police Cadet Corps and wondered, “How can I be a delinquent and a role model?” He had mentally prepared himself to be alone, and then he met his future wife. High school was a shock, and Chris immersed himself in sports like badminton and soccer. At 17, he entered junior college with the realization that “I need to grow up,” and saw his path through focusing on academics and sports. He intended to earn a government scholarship and be a teacher, thinking “I want to serve my time and move on.” Singapore has compulsory service and Chris enlisted on March 20, 1990. He did well in basic training and then had the opportunity to interview for foreign military academies. The first round was for Sandhurst (UK) and Duntroon (Australia) and he did not do well in the interviews. The second round was for West Point and Sandhurst (UK), and he did much better in these interviews. Before reporting to the United States Military Academy, he completed OCS in Singapore and was promoted to 2nd Lieutenant. He passed a PT (Physical Training) Test, interviewed with the US Defense Attache, and read the Long Gray Line. Arriving at West Point in the Admissions Van, he realized that the Academy was his “first impression of America.” Ten international cadets reported with the Class of 1995, and Chris felt fortunate that English was his first language (even though learning slang was hard). R-Day was a blur, and he wondered why the Cadet in the Red Sash was so angry (Chris remembers the upperclassman was standing so close that saliva landed on his face). He recalls carrying bags, memorization, and being made to shave, and he was angry. Marching onto the Plain is also a vivid memory. Training was “a piece of cake,” but he popped his shoulder on the obstacle course and had to have orthopedic surgery. He tried to help his classmates with military training and his goal was to be the best military professional. While he found Army training easy, he did experience some “cultural points of friction,” and his classmates helped him navigate the challenges. He describes how lessons he learned at the Academy helped him develop a command philosophy in 2006. As a Cow, he was the First Regimental Sergeant Major, and his proudest moment was taking charge of the Regiment after the Firsties marched off during the graduation parade. He also learned to be sensitive and culturally aware at the Academy, and he describes being called derogatory names. He recalls one of his toughest moments as sitting on the jury of an Honor Case and feeling the responsibility of deciding someone’s fate. As a Yearling on duty, he had felt obligated to report on a missing classmate, which ruffled some feathers, but he helped tutor classmates in calculus and that mended fences. Chris excelled academically and majored in Physics and Nuclear Engineering. His grades were strong enough that he was nominated for the Rhodes Scholarship. He strove to be the best militarily, and during his Cow and Firstie year he served as the Regimental Command Sergeant Major and the Operations Officer for First Regiment. He was a Star and Wreath man and performed well physically at the Academy. He describes his experiences as a Beast 1 Squad Leader and earning the Air Assault badge. He was posted to Ft. Hood for CTLT (Cadet Troop Leader Training) and recalls the hours spent in the motor pool and the importance of learning Soldier administration, including dental records, hygiene inspections, and completing wills. He describes his attitude as “very hard core,” and attributes that to “the folly of youth.” He was in company E2 and G1 and competed on the orienteering team. He remembers throwing his first snowball. Upon graduation, he returned to the Singapore Army, where he served as an Infantry and Field Artillery Officer, retiring as a Senior Lieutenant Colonel. Singapore is a small nation, and for training, their Army has to deploy to various locations to, for example, fire their artillery. In the second half of his interview, Chris delves into his personal struggle with Post Traumatic Stress, repressed grief, and lessons learned at West Point. His deployment to Afghanistan was the pivot point in his life, and he describes lessons he learned and synthesized based on his combat experiences. He reflects on decision making, and whether choices are right in the head and also right in the heart. He pulls influence from Schofield’s Definition of Discipline, Schwarzkopf’s address to the Corps of Cadets, and MacArthur’s Duty, Honor, Country speech. He describes the Academy as a “living lab” where Cadets explore the complexities of leadership. He highlights a Koran-burning incident on February 11, 2012, and the resulting danger to Allied forces. He discusses the March 11 Kandahar Massacre and the reaction to that incident. Chris examines “the bias we carry” and how that shapes understanding of the adversary. He also looks at how the face of war has changed, noting, “You never know who the enemy (Taliban) is,” and discusses how drones in Ukraine are shaping that war. He describes his experiences as a Battalion Commander and Brigade Commander, and questions how we can build a better world for humanity. In 2013, Chris experienced a breakdown, and he shares his experiences recovering from mental and emotional wounds, recalling “deep down I was a wreck.” It took two years for his body to heal, six years for his brain to heal, and eight years to recover emotionally, especially because his suppression mechanism was so well tuned. He began reconnecting with classmates and others who have struggled with Post Traumatic Stress. As part of his recovery, he posted his story to YouTube in five videos documenting his ten-year journey. Even though mental and moral wounds fester, he was able to self-heal. He admits that other Old Grads helped him understand that he needed help, but “when you can talk about your experiences, healing starts.” “We aren’t taught how to process and deal with human emotions,” he states. Chris acknowledges, “The Army is not what I am meant to be; I am still on a journey.” At the end of the interview, he reflects on West Point, asserting, “The Academy experience made me who I became.”