A boost to the Papua New Guinea Defence Organisation, six members of the organisation were recently honoured for the completion of major courses in Australia.
The Australian Defence College graduated six members of the PNG Defence Organisation on the 8th of December 2023 in Canberra, Australia.
PNG Defence Force’s (PNGDF) Lieutenant Colonel John Giregire, Lieutenant Colonel Mark Kellerton and Commander Willie Galia graduated with Masters under the Defence & Strategic Studies Course (DSSC), while Major Ezron Dekaetavara and Major Deleni Rida also graduated with Masters and Diplomas under the Australian Command Staff Course (ACSC).
Amongst the six officers, Hosea Bandy, a Policy staff from the Department of Defence also graduated with a Master’s degree in Military and Defence Studies, making him the first civilian personnel from the PNG Defence Organisation to attain such a prestigious qualification from the college.
His graduation is a result of Secretary Hari John Akipe’s vision and wisdom to integrate the Olgeta Department initiative with PNGDF’s Olgeta Series under the traditional PNG-Australia Defence Cooperation Program (DCP).
Secretary Akipe congratulated Bandy for rewarding his confidence in him with the unprecedented achievement and looked forward to welcoming him back to Murray Barracks in 2024.
Secretary Akipe said Bandy would bring back to the Department much desired and newly acquired skills, which would benefit the Defence Organisation and the PNG Government in areas of defence policy and capability enhancement.
Sharing experience following his graduation, Bandy said, “The course is practitioner-focused, which requires operational experience, which we civilians don’t have. Therefore, it requires more engagement with learning materials and, most importantly, the military personnel on the course.”
PNG Defence Advisor to Australia, Colonel Siale Diro, also acknowledged Bandy, noting his achievement at a military college, and for setting the record as the ‘first Department of Defence staff to have passed the Staff College, earning a Master’s in Defence Policy and Capability Development.’
The Australia Defence College is an affiliate of Deakin University.