'I will miss my nephew when I leave': SAF Exercise Forging Sabre in US turns into family reunion for siblings

MOUNTAIN HOME, Idaho — About six months into his posting to the Republic of Singapore Air Force's Peace Carvin V detachment in Idaho, US, Military Expert 5 (ME5) Esley Pwee received a text from his older sister Emily.

It wasn't to check in on how he was doing, but to ask what items ME5 Esley's three-year-old son Hayden would like.

That was how the 32-year-old senior maintenance officer learnt that Emily, a military intelligence expert with the Singapore Armed Forces' (SAF) Digital and Intelligence Service (DIS), would be joining him in the US for Exercise Forging Sabre.

Held from Sept 6 to 21 at Mountain Home Air Force Base, this year's sense and strike exercise involves over 800 personnel from the Singapore Army, RSAF, DIS and the defence technology community.

It is both ME4 Emily, 37, and ME5 Esley's second time at Exercise Forging Sabre, but their first time participating together.

Asked by reporters about their reaction to knowing that they would be joining this training exercise together, the siblings exchanged a vague glance.

"Personally, I'm indifferent," answered ME5 Esley. "But from a family perspective, I find it a good opportunity for [Hayden] to reconnect with my sister, especially since he was only two-and-a-half years old. After six months, he tends to forget."

ME4 Emily similarly admitted that she was "excited" to attend the exercise, as she had not seen her nephew and her younger brother's family in real life since they were deployed to the F-15SG fighter detachment in February this year.

To restoke her relationship with the young boy, ME4 Emily got hold of some toy cars to bond with him: "So hopefully, he will remember me."

Alas, Hayden, now three, appeared "shy" when the family attended the Air Force Appreciation Parade in Mountain Home Town last Saturday (Sept 6), said ME5 Esley.

On Sept 9, they briefly met again at the base during lunch. 

"At the start the kid is a bit shy, but after he saw the toys he warmed up a little bit more [towards Emily]," ME5 Esley recalled. "So we're planning for this Saturday (Sept 13), for her to come to my house to re-engage him again with more toys."

Though the siblings are "not very expressive" about their care for each other, ME4 Emily — who is a middle child  — assured that she loves both her brothers, and the family is supportive to one another.

"[Before Emily arrived] I texted her asking, 'If you're coming here, what do you need for me to get for you?'," ME5 Esley elaborated. "She just told me, can I get one rice cooker?"

And so ME4 Emily, a self-professed Asian food lover, is a happy owner of this "necessity". 

The Pwees added that their parents also will be flying to the US after Exercise Forging Sabre concludes in about less than two weeks to visit Hayden.

"My mom was very happy [to find out I'm coming to Mountain Home], and she gave me some clothing for my nephew," said ME4 Emily to laughter from the room.

ME5 Esley will finish his posting at Peace Carvin V in 2027. Till then, he and his wife are exploring options to fly back to Singapore on occasion for family bonding time.

"I will miss my nephew when I leave," confessed ME4 Emily.

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lim.kewei@asiaone.com