Fred Cheong in his military uniform (note the trident) and his present attire.
Today’s SOFREP Pic of the Day features Singapore Armed Forces Commando Fred Cheong, the man who graduated from BUD/S and later became a Buddhist Monk.
Fred Cheong’s story is one of remarkable transformation, making the odd and unusual journey from a military commando to monk. His experiences bridge the physical extremes of warfare and the spiritual depths of Buddhist practice.
In 1991, Cheong was part of a commando team that took out four hijackers on Singapore Airlines Flight SQ117.
In 2017, he was ordained as a Buddhist monk and prefers to be called the Venerable Tenzin Drachom.
To quote Drachom:
“In the military, I destroyed the enemy outside. Now I destroy the enemy inside.”
Today’s SOFREP Pic of the Day features Singapore Armed Forces Commando Fred Cheong, the man who graduated from BUD/S and later became a Buddhist Monk.
Fred Cheong’s story is one of remarkable transformation, making the odd and unusual journey from a military commando to monk. His experiences bridge the physical extremes of warfare and the spiritual depths of Buddhist practice.
In 1991, Cheong was part of a commando team that took out four hijackers on Singapore Airlines Flight SQ117.
In 2017, he was ordained as a Buddhist monk and prefers to be called the Venerable Tenzin Drachom.
To quote Drachom:
“In the military, I destroyed the enemy outside. Now I destroy the enemy inside.”
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