ADDRESS BY HIS EXCELLENCY THE PRESIDENT DR. ERNEST BAI KOROMA COMMANDER IN CHIEF OF THE REPUBLIC OF SIERRA LEONE ON THE OCCASION OF ARMED FORCES PASSING OUT PARADE ON THE 23RD MAY 2014 COURTESIES It is a great honour for me to be here once again to review the passing-out parade of 26 Officer Cadets and 205 recruits. Six months ago, these young men and women walked into this Training Centre to be molded into proud soldiers ready to serve our beloved country, its people and its interest. I would like to congratulate you again, the young officers and soldiers for having successfully completed the period of training, and for mounting today’s excellent parade. I also congratulate the Staff of the Armed Forces Training Centre for their commitment. The young men and women standing before us could not have achieved such high standards without your leadership. Our Armed Forces are the pride of our nation. Whenever I meet my counterparts in the UN, AU and ECOWAS, the gallant contribution of the RSLAF to peacekeeping operation is invariably on the agenda. The RSLAF had answered calls of the Global Community to serve as peacekeepers. You may have well been updated that the RSLAF had already deployed more that 2000 troops as staff officers, military observers and formed troops in Lebanon, Haiti, Nepal, Sudan, Somalia and Mali since 2006 for peacekeeping duties. Our soldiers are putting their lives on the line in other parts of the world. Not waging war but keeping the peace, ensuring the safety of others. I will not be surprised to see some of you here today being called up for peacekeeping duties in the not too distant future. The training you have received and the skills you have acquired here at this Training Institution will be essential in executing your future military tasks. I can not tell you what the next major operations will be. I can not tell you where you will be deployed but I do know that you have been prepared to deal with the challenges you will face, in whatever form they come and from whatever quarter. You are the centerpiece of our national system of defence; you are beacons of Duty, Honour, and Loyalty to the democratically constituted authority of our country.. Today’s ceremony is a mark of the trust the nation, through its sovereign, now bestows on you. You can be proud of what you have achieved. Proud of the traditions and values of the military you have joined. Am proud of the commitment you are making to the service of your country. And in return for that commitment, as Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces of Sierra Leone, I will do everything I can to support you and your families and to strengthen the military covenant that is the embodiment of the pact between our society and those who defend it through military service. I have vowed to myself that I will spare no effort in ensuring our Security Forces live a better life. I have personally directed that a reasonable portion of our national resources be used for the wellbeing and operational effectiveness of the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF). My intention for the next four years is to construct one battalion sized barracks each year with modern facilities. We are starting with the Eleventh Battalion in Kambia. All arrangements have been concluded for the commencement of work as soon as possible. In addition to this 4 year plan, series of other contracts have been concluded to refurbish the existing barracks including Benguema barracks that can now boast of pipe borne water and electricity from the national grid. Refurbishing and facelift works have commenced at the Gondama and Daru barracks. Daru Barracks will very soon have a modern hospital. Similar works will continue at Wilberforce and Lungi Barracks very soon. I am also aware that the Assistant Chief of Defence Staff for Support and Logistics has just returned from Belgium where he concluded pre-shipping arrangements for various categories of military vehicles which are due in country before the end of May 2014. Each unit in the RSLAF will have brand new vehicles shortly. To you the newly commissioned officers, you are about to embark on one of the most unique and rewarding careers to be found any where. Where the courage, self-discipline, integrity and leadership you display will be met with loyalty and respect by those you will command. Put your six months of endurance and pain into practice and go forth to uphold the high ideals forged through the years by your predecessors. It is not so much an occupation, but rather a calling to serve your country with dignity, pride and at heart. I once again congratulate the recipients of various awards presented today. To the hard working staff of the Training Group, thank you for the efforts in training these fine young men and women into soldiers of the RSLAF. To the families and friends, I would also like to acknowledge your assistance and endless support to make this day eventuate for your sons and loved ones. I ask for your continued support as they turn a new chapter today in their Military career. I wish you all the very best of luck for the future. I thank you very much and God bless Sierra Leone.
Posted on: Fri, 23 May 2014 16:32:26 +0000
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