| James Kon |
A TOTAL of 57 new officer cadets will get to test their mental and physical capabilities to the limit, following an appointment ceremony yesterday for the 17th intake of the Officer Cadet School (OCS) at the Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF) Defence Academy.
Pehin Datu Pekerma Jaya Major General Dato Paduka Seri Mohd Tawih bin Abdullah, the Commander of the RBAF, presented the ranks to 41 male and 16 female officer cadets.
OCdt Hajah Siti Syafiqah Afifah binti Haji Ahmad Mahyuddin, one of the newly appointed officer cadets, said, “I feel blessed and privileged to be among the OCS’ 17th intake, since not everyone can get to have this opportunity.”
She added, “I understand that life at the OCS will be very challenging, but it will help me to learn and develop into a completely different person.”
A recipient of the Supreme Commander RBAF Scholarship in 2013, Hajah Siti Syafiqah Afifah is hoping to apply what she gained during her study course in Canada towards the country’s development.
Asked if it had always been her ambition to be in the military, she replied, “To be honest, not really, but my father was in the military, and I found him to be very passionate about his work. It was he who inspired me to attempt a career in the military.”
OCdt Dr Muhd Nur Awan bin Arrif, who is a dentist, said, “I felt nervous and excited to be accepted into the ranks of officer cadet among the 17th intake at the OCS.”
With leadership skills being a main part of the course at the OCS, he hopes it will help him to become a good leader and role model for others to follow.
Following the appointment ceremony, Pehin Datu Pekerma Jaya Major General Dato Paduka Seri Mohd Tawih officiated the start of the Commissioning Course for the 17th intake at the auditorium of the RBAF Defence Academy.
The Commissioning Course will be conducted for 52 weeks, and upon completion of their training, the officer cadets will graduate in January 2019.
Also present at the ceremony were the services commanders, Joint Force Commander, senior officers, officers and staff of the RBAF Defence Academy, as well as family members of the new officer cadets.
The last commissioning course was for the 16th intake, which graduated on August 31, 2017.
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