Injured Navy man back at work

SINGAPORE - Navy serviceman Jason Chee has returned to work, 18 months after he lost his limbs in a horrific work accident.

"I'm happy and excited to be back at work. In fact, I've been counting down to this day," he said. "Now, I'm going back to work as a different person - on a wheelchair. But it doesn't matter how I look like because I still see myself as a regular Navy serviceman, whose job is to protect the country."

The 31-year-old, who holds Military Expert (ME) 2 rank, will serve as an operations supervisor in 191 Squadron, and be in charge of planning training. To make it easier for him to move around, his unit has widened doorways and installed ramps, grip bars and emergency buttons.

In December 2012, ME2 Chee lost both legs, his left arm and three fingers on his right hand after he was caught between a berthing rope and a motorised winch on board warship RSS Endeavour at Changi Naval Base.

He has kept himself active despite his accident, even winning a bronze medal in table tennis for Singapore at the 7th Asean Para Games in January, while studying Mathematics at UniSIM.

The Commanding Officer of 191 Squadron, Colonel Thng Chee Meng, said the Navy is "immensely proud of Jason and his determination". "I'm very happy to welcome him back and the squadron support group will continue to support Jason and ease him into his job. We want Jason to be doing something he likes and is meaningful."

This article was first published on June 4, 2014.
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