02 Jun 2019

Botswana Defence Force (BDF) Air Arm Commander, Major General Innocent Phatshwane, has buttressed the importance of teamwork to prosperity.

Addressing pilots and technicians who had just graduated at the Thebephatshwa Air Base recently, Maj. Gen. Phatshwane said the BDF strived on team work.

Maj. Gen. Phatshwane told graduates to surround themselves with people who could enable them to overcome their limitations.

He further encouraged them to make a difference to the squadrons they would be posted to and keep learning to optimise the multidimensional challenges ahead of them.

The Air Arm Commander asked the graduates to keep up with the ever-changing technological advancements in order to render themselves relevant in the workplace.

“Additionally, strive for continuous improvement of your careers, seek additional qualifications. Be a volunteer. Be an expert in something, but try to understand the interaction of the many systems that comprise of the bigger picture,” he said.

Maj. Gen. Phatshwane said they should expand their horizons beyond flying and technical domain into other cadres such asmanagement, human resource, information management and economics as some of the forces that bear on their chosen line of work, community, and environment.

He encouraged them to keep up with the required fitness levels as determined by the BDF and noting that a proper exercise programme carried out on a regular basis would help one stay healthy, improve mental health, quality of life and productivity.

Seven pilots who underwent Basic Flying Course No. 33 of 2019 and 28 technicians who trained at Technical Training school for the Basic Course No. 10 of 2019 graduated.

When giving an overview of the course, Colonel Job Sejoe said the Basic Flying Course commenced on February 2017.

He said the syllabus provided that all trainees be exposed to a vigorous screening on the flight simulator followed by preparatory pilot ground school training as well as parachute landing and desert environment survival skills training which was later followed by the actual flying training.

Col. Sejoe said the Air Frame technicians were responsible for maintenance of, among other things, the propulsion system and components, aircraft structural repairs and airframe systems.

One of the graduates, Lt. Esther Molapo said she was happy to be a female pilot among men, adding that this was prove that women had what it takes to become what they want to be.

She said even though the training was vigorous, she depended on endurance for successful completion. ENDS