The Namibian Defence Force (NDF) has grown structurally since its inception in 1990, from two infantry battalions to three services comprised of the army, air force, and the navy.
Air Marshal Martin Kambulu Pinehas, Chief of the NDF, said this on Thursday at the army headquarters in Grootfontein, on the occasion of the NDF’s 32nd anniversary, which was held under the theme ‘Continuous preparation through commitment and dedication’.
According to Pinehas, notable achievements in peace support operations include the deployment of the first Namibian contingent to Cambodia in 1992, and subsequent participation in United Nations, African Union, and/or SADC missions in Angola, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Kosovo, Sudan (Khartoum), Eritrea, South Sudan, Lesotho and Mozambique.
“As we commemorate this day, it is critical that we take a moment to reflect on the Namibian Defence Force’s illustrious accomplishments over the last 32 years. As Chief of the Namibian Defence Force, I am proud of the outstanding service that our men and women in uniform continue to provide to the nation in fulfilling our international, regional and national obligations,” he stated.
He added that the NDF continues to play an important role in maintaining cordial relations with other defence forces by attending to multilateral and bilateral commitments and that a large number of defence attachés are accredited to the Republic of Namibia to promote cooperation in the fields of military relations, security and defence.
Pinehas also stated that the NDF has deployed a number of defence attachés to countries and organisations with which Namibia has significant defence relations in order to foster strategic partnerships and cooperation and that this reflects Namibia’s commitment to global peace and security.
“Reflecting on the NDF’s distinguished achievements, much more work remains to be done on our path to becoming a modernised and fully professionalised world-class force. As you are probably aware, the global, continental, regional and domestic security and risk environments are characterised by a wide range of complex, evolving, interdependent and partially unpredictable threats and risks,” he noted.
He concluded by urging all Namibians to remain committed to the NDF’s mandate and to focus on the core values of patriotism, dedication, integrity and teamwork.
Source: The Namibian Press Agency
