Address By His Excellency The President
And Commander In Chief Of The Sierra Leone Armed Forces, At The Passing Out Parade Of Recruits And Cadet Officers At The Benguema Training Centre On Friday, 10th September 2004

Honourable Vice President
Honourable Ministers
Honourable Members of Parliament
Your Excellencies Members of the Diplomatic and Consular Corps
Chief of Defence Staff
MA GOSL
Members of IMMAT
Officers and Men of the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen

It is always gratifying to witness and serve as the reviewing officer at passing out parades of Recruits and Cadet Officers of the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces. Today, like the many other times we have been here, I am particularly proud to be with you, and I wish to congratulate you on your passing out and becoming members of Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces. When I saw the displays moments ago, I thought to myself that indeed, our military is on its way to becoming one of the best in Africa. With continued discipline, courage, dedication and hard work, you can be among the best in the world.

I have no doubt in my mind that your decision to be part of the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces is borne out of love for your country. We all have our talents and callings for different vocations. You have consciously chosen the military. The recruitment process and training have been rigorous and tasking. During your training, you must have been faced with difficult challenges. The fact that you stayed and successfully went through your training is an eloquent testimony to your level of commitment to the service of your country, and determination to elevate the stature of the RSLAF, your chosen career.

You must have realized during your training that standards in the military are not only high, but that they cannot be compromised. I admonish you all to uphold the values of your profession and do this nation proud where duty calls. As your Commander-in-Chief, I do hope and expect that you will exert your best endeavours to rebuild the heritage of the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces. Remember your lessons in civil-military relations and remain ever vigilant to the demands of human rights as you carryout your soldiering duties.

During your training, you must have observed that the Armed Forces Training Centre has become the focal point of all training activities within the Armed Forces of the Republic of Sierra Leone. Its curriculum has expanded rapidly to incorporate advanced professional training for serving officers. It is progressing rapidly towards becoming a centre of excellence in the sub-region.

Within a short period of time, the centre has witnessed a rapid improvement and expansion of its facilities. It now houses three Companies, namely, Headquarters, Training and Support. I am reliably informed that each of these Companies has four wings for Tactics, Leadership, Physical and Weapon Training. The provision of these facilities is to create the environment for training and career development of officers and men who enlist in the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces. I want to assure you that my Government will give you the support and that due recognition will be given to the military as one of the vital institutions on which the welfare and destiny of the state rests.

Today we will witness the passing out of thirty Officer Cadets and ninety-three Recruits who have just completed six months of very extensive training. This is the joint effort of the Infantry Training and Advisory Team (ITAT) and counterpart Sierra Leonean Instructors

Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen, I will be remiss in my duties if I fail to sound a word of caution about the enormity of the responsibilities that lie ahead of the newly trained Recruits and Cadet Officers as they join the family of the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces. The military is a disciplined and structured Institution where you are expected to always exhibit high moral and professional standards. The Institution is currently at cross roads, having gone through considerable restructuring in the recent past. You are obliged to be loyal to your country and its government, and be obedient to your Superior Officers. I must say again that in our effort and determination to create a professional army, my Government will give its maximum attention to your welfare and training. But as the adage goes, "to whom much is given, much is expected".

I thank you all for your attention.

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