Thirty-seven officers are currently attending a command and staff course with the opening ceremony held at the Defence Academy Royal Brunei Armed Forces (DA RBAF) auditorium yesterday.
Sixteen Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF) officers, one officer from the Ministry of Defence, one officer from the Royal Brunei Police Force (RBPF), one officer from the Internal Security Department and 18 international military officers from Bangladesh, Cambodia, Indonesia, Jordan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Oman, Pakistan, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Thailand, the United Kingdom and the United States are participating in the course.
Commander of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces Major General Dato Paduka Seri Haji Muhammad Haszaimi bin Bol Hassan was the guest of honour at the opening.
Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD) Vice-Chancellor Dr Hazri bin Haji Kifle, Deputy Commissioner of the RBPF, Acting Deputy Director of Internal Security Department, RBAF Service Commanders, Ambassadors and High Commissioners to Brunei Darussalam, senior officers as well as the Defence Advisers and Attachés to Brunei Darussalam were also present.
The ceremony began with the recitation of Surah Al-Fatihah and verses from Surah Al-Kahfi led by Lieutenant Commander Mohd Shahrul Idham bin Haji Bungsu, Royal Brunei Navy. It proceeded with opening remarks from the guest of honour and a flag unfurling ceremony.
The flag unfurling symbolises excellent cooperation among countries taking part in the course and emphasises the importance for Command and Staff College students to forge strong friendships.
The course is a 40-week programme delivered in partnership with UBD for the sixth year as its primary academic provider.
It aims to expand professional knowledge towards a contemporary strategic environment and its implications on the nature of their work as defence and security specia-lists.
Participants, who complete the course, will be awarded the post-nominal ‘passed staff college (joint)’ by the DA RBAF and the UBD Graduate Diploma of Defence and Security Studies to pursue their Master’s degree in Defence and Security Studies. – James Kon
