The Nigerian Air Force (NAF), has graduated 648 officers and men who undertook young officers, basic and advanced regiment courses at the NAF Institute of Administrative Management and the Regiment Training Centre (RTC).
The Air Officer Commanding Air Training Command, AVM Ayoola Jolasinmi, presided over the graduation ceremony on Friday in Kaduna.
He said that the personnel would add to the number of skilled manpower for the enhancement of NAF base defence, combat readiness and administrative capabilities.
Jolasinmi, represented by the Chief of Staff, Air Training Command, AVM Emmanuel Chukwu, noted the sustained training of regiment personnel had manifested in NAF successes in recent operations.
The commanding officer said NAF would continue to develop its capabilities in line with the changing security environment.
Jolasinmi said this was necessary to generate combat forces capable of securing Nigeria’s national assets against all forms of threats, both internal and external.
He tasked the graduands on their core duty, which was to protect all Nigerians irrespective of their ethnic background or religious inclination.
“Be reminded that you will be operating at a time when our nation is facing numerous security challenges, you must therefore be strong, disciplined and courageous in all you do.”
He also urged them to imbibe the attributes of military professionalism which included absolute loyalty, discipline, integrity, physical fitness, motivation, decisiveness, teamwork and courage, among others.
“Above all, you should always strive to be good ambassadors of NAF by upholding its core values of integrity first, service before self and excellence in all we do.
“The possession of these virtues forms the ‘esprit-de-corps’ that binds all ranks in the service,” he said.
Earlier, the Commandant of RTC, Air Commodore, Jeff Ekwuribe, said the training curriculum was recently restructured to meet the changing contemporary nature of military operations, both in war and peace time.
He said that that the young officers’ course lasted for 12 weeks and the graduands were tutored to develop their staff duty capabilities, analytical and communication skills.
He added that the graduands were exposed to weapon handling, drill, general service knowledge and kinetic and non-kinetic warfare techniques.
Ekwuribe stressed that the curriculum covered the increasing role of NAF in internal security operations, bearing in mind the inevitability of young officers’ involvement in the conduct of operations.
25 of the personnel participated in Young Officers’ Course, nine in Basic Regiment Officers Course, 44 took part in Advanced Regiment Airmen Course; 53 for Intermediate Regiment Airmen Course and 517 were of Basic Regiment Airmen/Airwomen Course.
