SINGAPORE – “Join the navy? You must be crazy,” a father tells his daughter and flings her duffel bag – presumably packed for her first day of enlistment – into a swimming pool.

This is the opening scene of a video posted by the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) on Monday (Jan 11) and sets the theme for its latest recruitment campaign: The way friends and family often react to news of a loved one signing on with the maritime force.

“We really wanted to tell people that it’s not crazy to join the navy, if you understand our mission, our ideas and all the things that we do to ensure the safety, security and sovereignty of this country,” said Colonel Ho Jee Kien, who heads the RSN’s personnel department.