Law school leaves no assumption unchallenged. Students learn to interrogate every assumption, dissect evidence and anticipate counterarguments. No case can stand until it has been built on solid ground and stress-tested against opposing views.
Military Expert 4 (ME4) Dexter Chow forged that habit of mind while studying law at Singapore Management University (SMU). Today, the client he serves is not a single individual or entity.
“The work that we do goes a long way in protecting Singapore,” he says. “It is the most important client I could ever have.”
The 28-year-old is a senior military intelligence expert at the Digital and Intelligence Service (DIS), the fourth branch of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), specialising in developing a deep analytical acumen and understanding of Singapore’s regional security environment.
“As a lawyer, you have to build your case, making assessments based on evidence and clear lines of logic,” says ME4 Chow. As an intelligence officer, the work follows the same logic, he adds.
ME4 Chow and his team pore over information from multiple sources, oftentimes contradictory, to form a clearer picture and flag concerns early.
He says: “The bulk of our work involves understanding the information that we receive, making sense of it, and presenting our assessments to key decision makers as concisely as we can.”
The idea of serving at the frontline was never foreign to ME4 Chow. His father was a former member of the Singapore Civil Defence Force, while his brother is currently an officer in the Singapore Police Force.
“I remembered feeling proud of the work that my father did as a fire and rescue officer, as he was out there serving a greater good,” he recalls.
His days of enlistment deepened that impression. “I really enjoyed the camaraderie and saw how much the organisation invests in its people. There is also the opportunity to exercise leadership qualities,” he says.
After graduating from Singapore Management University with a bachelor of laws in 2022, ME4 Chow (middle), pictured here with his family, joined the SAF later that year.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF DEXTER CHOW
When he was picking a university course, he wanted to try something different. He believed he could serve in his own way by pursuing a career in law – defending others in the courtroom.
But even after four years of legal study at SMU and three internships – including one at the Attorney-General’s Chambers – he found himself still irresistibly drawn to a career with the SAF.
