President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, who is also the Commander-in-Chief of the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF), officiated at the passing-out ceremony of 413 army officers who completed an armoury military warfare course at the Uganda Military Academy in Kabamba, Mubende District.
The 413 officers comprised 74 Armour Platoon Commanders, 122 Armour Technicians, and 217 Armour Crew. They underwent six months of intensive training in advanced military warfare skills and tactics.
While presiding over the ceremony, President Museveni congratulated the officers on completing the course successfully. “I want to congratulate the graduates for learning quickly in six months, where you mastered this equipment of tanks in the four courses that have been mentioned here. I want to congratulate you and pass you out today,” he said.
He further urged the officers to ensure that their military operations comprehensively incorporate all elements of defence capability.
“As I told your commanders, war is an old science and an old art. Science in the form of equipment and art in the way you are organised and utilise the equipment. Science always influences the organisation and the tactics,” he said.
President Museveni also warned the graduates to remain vigilant about the evolving threats to armour defence technologies and to adopt appropriate countermeasures. “The tank has new threats like the air force, which has been improving and the Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), so we need to understand the packaging of capacity.”
He advised the officers to prioritise their well-being to have long and successful careers. “Love yourself so that you don’t die of diseases, alcohol or drugs. You should remain healthy, but as we told you, you must also love your equipment because if you don’t look after it well, especially if you are corrupt, when war comes, you will die. When you see a corrupt soldier, he is your enemy and the enemy of the country,” he urged.
The President further reassured the officers that the modernisation of the UPDF remains a priority and commended the army’s leadership for ongoing efforts to professionalise the force. “I’m happy that the CDF is still working on welfare, training, and infrastructure. We have been busy building barracks and other training facilities.”
Deputy Chief of Defence Forces, Lt Gen Sam Okiding, revealed that the UPDF is accelerating efforts to upgrade all its military training facilities into centres of excellence, noting that 14 of them, including the Uganda Military Academy – Kabamba, have already achieved this status.
Lt Gen Okiding also cautioned the graduates to maintain precision and competence in their work and to shun deceptive behaviours and lifestyles.
The Commandant of the Armoured Warfare Training School – Karama, Brig Gen Peter Chandia, explained that the 413 officers were trained in mechanised warfare and the fundamentals of firepower mobility.
He noted that the graduates are now competent to skilfully employ mechanised resources in contemporary battlefields. The best-performing students were also recognised during the ceremony.
