The First Female STAR Operator: Here’s How She Did It

“I believe that if other females see what we do, what I managed to go through, then they’ll be inspired to try.”

By: Christabelle Lim

In July 2024, 31-year-old Sergeant (Sgt) Michelle (not her real name) passed the inaugural Special Operations Group (SOG) Selection Course to become a Special Tactics and Rescue (STAR) operator – the first female officer in the STAR Unit’s 31-year history.

A Dream Deferred
Since joining the Singapore Police Force (SPF) in 2014, Sgt Michelle had one ultimate goal – to become a STAR operator. As the SPF’s elite tactical unit, the STAR Unit handles high-stakes operations such as hostage rescue situations and high-risk arrests, with their operators taking on one of four specialised roles: Assaulter, Assault Diver, Sniper and Tactical K-9 Handler.

“The tactical life inspired me, and I wanted to be part of it,” explained Sgt Michelle. She applied to join the STAR Unit in 2014 but didn’t pass the interview then.

The dream was put on hold. Sgt Michelle spent four years as a Ground Response Force officer. She thrived in the role and enjoyed it greatly but felt that something was missing. “Over the years, I was looking out for openings for females in the STAR Unit. I thought that they did not accept females at that point in time.”

In 2021, Sgt Michelle left the SPF to start a business with her sister. While the change of environment was refreshing, she found herself restless and yearning for more. “When I saw the SOG direct recruitment notice in 2023, it had a line that said female applicants are required to do standard push-ups. I knew for sure then that the STAR Unit was open to women, so I signed up.”

The SOG Selection Course
Aspiring operators first go through a three-month SOG Basic Course, followed by a six-month SOG Main Course. Throughout this period of training, trainees are continually assessed for their physical fitness, core skill competencies and character attributes.

The standards for males and females are the same throughout the selection course – they must meet the same physical and operational fitness targets. Sgt Michelle knew she had to put in extra effort: “I just have to work a little harder, then I can match up to the guys.”

And she did. Sgt Michelle started every morning with inclined chin-ups at her bunk before joining her fellow trainees for the daily physical training. She also put in extra work after daily training and during the weekends.

Learning the Basics
Camaraderie was key to surviving the SOG Basic Course – it was a shared experience. For example, when the wheels on some equipment bags broke under the weight, all trainees carried their bags on their shoulders as a sign of unity, regardless of whether their bag had wheels or not.

To get used to the weight, Sgt Michelle carried her bag up 10 storeys of stairs to her bunk every night, instead of taking the lift. “Just keep climbing; don’t stop,” she would tell herself.

The first run in the Standard Assault Gear was a shock to her system. “When we started running, the vest weighed me down, and I had to keep up with the group’s pace,” she recalled. “I hyperventilated during the first run but as the training progressed, I got better at them.”

The Main Course
Out of the 31 trainees who started the Basic Course, only 18 progressed to the Main Course. They were joined by 13 Gurkha trainees, bringing the total number of trainees to 31. Sgt Michelle was still in the running.

Over the next six months, trainees honed their skills further and tackled increasingly difficult scenario-based training. Sgt Michelle’s determination saw her through to the final stage – the gruelling Rite of Passage (ROP) Week.

Rite of Passage Week
The ROP Week is designed to challenge trainees with a series of intense exercises (also known as “evolutions”) and unscheduled assemblies (termed “turnouts”), testing their endurance and willpower as they’re pushed to their physical and mental limits. Sgt Michelle thought to herself, “I’ve come so far; there’s no way I’m not going to go through it.”

As the most experienced Sergeant in the course, she was appointed as one of the four team ICs. Inevitably, doubts crept in: I’m not the fittest nor the fastest; how am I going to lead if I’m just trying to keep up?

After the relentless crawling and push-ups during the Day 0 and Day 1 turnouts and evolutions, there was also a niggling pain in her shoulder that felt like a pulled muscle, but she shrugged it off.

Soon it was time for an open water evolution. Each team had to tow a rubber dinghy loaded with around 120kg of weight across a body of water.

Sgt Michelle was a confident swimmer, but a near-drowning incident that she’d undergone in 2017 while surfing overseas made her doubt herself.

When the whistle blew, it was go-time. Sgt Michelle was mission-focused and led her team with valour, ensuring everyone was alright and hanging in there together. “I didn’t have time for fear; I just did it,” she recalled. “After I jumped into the water, I remembered that I was the team leader and pulled myself together for my team.” Sgt Michelle’s team completed the evolution in first place.

Sitting Out Felt Tougher than Doing
At the end of Day 1, the niggling pain in Sgt Michelle’s right shoulder persisted. The trainers were concerned and directed her to get her shoulder checked.

She protested and wanted to carry on, worried about missing the next evolution and leaving her team behind. For Sgt Michelle, getting pulled out was a challenge even bigger than the evolution itself. Would her dream come to an end?

After a medical evaluation, a doctor cleared her to continue with ROP Week. She was right back with her team, carrying 10kg sandbags up 10 flights of stairs while wearing a bullet resistant vest. By this time, her right arm had started to swell, and she could only put the sandbag on one shoulder, but she forged on.

Pushing through the Pain
The days and nights melted into one; battling physical and mental fatigue, evolutions like the stretcher race and the log race pushed the trainees to their limit. Sgt Michelle rallied her team. She knew that as long as everyone gave their best and worked for one another, they would succeed.

From ice-cold baths to the scorching heat during the vehicle breakdown evolution, each trainee faced their own breaking point — some overcame it and grew, while others found it a challenge too great to bear. Sgt Michelle gave everything she had. Whether she made it or not, she wanted to make sure that she had no regrets.

This story of grit and determination ends in triumph. Out of more than 300 applicants and the 31 trainees who started the SOG Basic Course, only 11 made it to the end. Sgt Michelle was one of them. All STAR operators are given a callsign when they join the unit. Sgt Michelle’s callsign is Mulan.

It’s Official
Now a full-fledged STAR operator, Sgt Michelle continues to hone her skills, training alongside those who were once her mentors and are now her teammates. “All the knowledge that our seniors have, they continue to impart to us – even more than during the course.”

Sgt Michelle is excited to continue honing her core skills as an Assaulter. In the future, she hopes to try out as a Tactical K-9 Handler, a role where STAR operators work closely with their canine partners on various missions.

For Sgt Michelle, the callsign “Mulan” is more than just a name – it’s a reminder of the barriers she overcame and the legacy she hopes to leave. Like Mulan, she proves that courage, perseverance and determination can create history: “I believe that if other females see what we do, what I managed to go through, then they’ll be inspired to try.”

Inspired by Sgt Michelle and her fellow SOG trainees? Watch all nine episodes of the “Rite of Passage: The Making of a Special Operations Group Operator" on www.go.gov.sg/sogcourse.

Applications are open till 31 January 2025. Those interested may visit www.go.gov.sg/sog2025 for more information.