By GINNAH MINI
THE Papua New Guinea Defence Force (PNGDF) yesterday commissioned six chaplains and three female direct-entry officers into the force.
The six chaplains were commissioned to the rank of captain and posted to Moem, Igam, Murray and Taurama barracks, and Lombrum Naval Base. Of the three female officers, two were commissioned as medical officers to the rank of lieutenant, while the third was commissioned as a legal officer to the rank of captain.
Commander of Defence Force, Rear Admiral Philip Polewara congratulated and welcomed them to PNGDF while urging them to uphold the moral values of the country.
He advised the chaplains to lead by example as the soldiers look up to them.
“You are here and supposed to be upholding the moral values of the country and not only the defence force. We look upon you, you must lead by example. You will be the last people to get drunk and behave nonsense at the mess. You must lead by example. The defence force and the country looks up on you people,” Rear Admiral Polewara said.
“Morality in any organization collapses, that’s the end of the organization.”
He welcomed the lawyer and said that she will support the short-staffed officers from the legal branch.
“We are in the state of our reform-changing the defence force as it is to a fighting force of the country,” Rear Admiral Polewara said.
“What we were is a leftover from the Australian Administration. We cannot be a symbolic and ceremonial force, we have to move into a fighting force and that’s what we are doing.”
“There will be a lot of changes: like the Treaty with Australia and the DCA (Defence Corporation Agreement) with the US, these are some of the things that you will have to deal with.”
He said that as the force is being attacked by lifestyle diseases, the two commissioned doctors will help the Directorate of Health Services in looking after the human resource of the force.
Rear Admiral Polewara encouraged the newly commissioned chaplains and officers to promote self-leadership before leading the force by example.