Six officers from the Ministry of Defence (MinDef) received the OBOE Endeavour Academic Excellence Award from the Australian Government in recognition of their outstanding results during the recently concluded 14th Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF) Command and Staff Course (CSC) 2024.
The ceremony was held yesterday at the Defence Academy Royal Brunei Armed Forces (DA RBAF), Kampong Tanah Jambu.
High Commissioner of Australia to Brunei Darussalam Luke Arnold was the guest of honour. Commander of the Royal Brunei Air Force (RBAirF) Brigadier General (U) Dato Seri Pahlawan Mohammad Sharif bin Dato Paduka Haji Ibrahim as representative of Commander RBAF, acting service commanders, deputy permanent secretary at the MinDef; members of the Australian High Commission in Brunei Darussalam, directors, RBAF officers and recipients from 2018 to 2023 were also present.
The ceremony began with the recitation of Surah Al-Fatihah and was followed with welcoming remarks from Commandant of DA RBAF Colonel Pengiran Sharifuddin bin Pengiran Haji Yusof.
He acknowledged the commitment from both Brunei Darussalam and Australia in upholding their long-standing relationship for over two decades in advancing ties through defence activities.
He also highlighted the award as an avenue to achieve shared goals as he extended congratulations to the recipients of the OBOE Endeavour Academic Excellence Award from the 14th RBAF CSC.
The commandant remarked on the historical significance of ‘OBOE’ as a shared history between the two countries, expressing gratitude to the Australian Government for its support in enhancing the course by recognising excellence.
The high commissioner congratulated the award recipients for their outstanding results and emphasised the increasing prestige of the OBOE Awards visit programme. He also highlighted that this partnership symbolises shared commitment and serves as a fundamental foundation for sustaining peace, stability and prosperity in the shared Indo-Pacific region, especially during this rapidly changing landscape and increasingly complex strategic challenges.
The high commissioner also expressed hope that participants seize this opportunity to not only gain insights and knowledge but also to involve themselves in the experience, build lasting friendships, and further strengthen the camaraderie with their Australian peers.
The high commissioner presented awards to Major (U) Haji Ilhamdi bin Haji Md Dali, Major (U) Dayangku Nurazriana binti Pengiran Hassanan, and Major (U) Mohd Adi Faiz bin Haji Abu Bakar, all from the RBAirF, along with Lieutenant Commander Muhamad Adib Izzuddin bin Haji Ramli and Lieutenant Commander Mohd Shahrul Idham bin Haji Bungsu from the Royal Brunei Navy (RBN) and Mohammad Hazwan bin Mohammad Azani from DA RBAF.
The OBOE Endeavour Academic Excellence Award is an academic excellence programme from the Australian Government, awarded to CSC participants who have achieved outstanding results during the course.
The officers will be invited to Australia to meet senior military officers from the Australian Defence Force, touring selected Australian military bases, participate in educational and cultural activities, and engage in dialogues as well as discussions.
This year’s award recipients will leave for Australia from November 30 to December 5. The programme aims to educate officers about Australia, focusing on its Defence Force, regional security, and shared interests.
