The Chief of Defence Forces, Gen David Muhoozi, has Friday presided over the handover ceremony of the office of Defence Forces Sergeant Major (DFSM) at the Ministry of Defence and Veteran Affairs (MoDVA) headquarters, Mbuya Hill.
The former DFSM, Capt Charles Onyuta who was recently promoted to the rank of Captain handed over to Warrant Officer Class One (WO1) Patrick Ekirita.
Gen David Muhoozi lauded the outgoing DFSM for a job well done amidst different challenges and congratulated the incoming upon assuming a new and demanding office.
The CDF said the main role of the DFSM as the senior most Non Commissioned Officer is to bridge the gap between officers and other ranks within the UPDF.
He cautioned the incoming DFSM not to be a populist but rather concentrate on his job and meet the expectations of the Force.
“Be compassionate, take keen interest in junior officers, mentor them, be their councillor, and maintain Force cohesion since there is a big task ahead of you,” the CDF told WO1 Patrick Ekirita.
The outgoing DFSM, Capt Charles Onyuta thanked the UPDF leadership for the endless support provided to him towards the success of his work and cautioned his successor to maintain this close cooperation.
WO 1 Patrick Ekirita thanked the UPDF leadership for entrusting him with such a big office and promised to work towards the expectations of the Force.
The handover ceremony was attended by the Deputy Commander Land Forces Maj Gen Sam Kavuma, the Joint Chief Of Staff Maj Gen Joseph Musanyufu and other Chiefs and directors of UPDF.