PNGDF

PNGDF Commander Gilbert Toropo in his address during the Commanders End of Year parade highlighted this.

Toropo spoke about Force growth through concurrent recruitment as well as the establishment of the ceremonial guard and implementation of the company of excellence initiative.

 He says the ceremonial guard assisted in the Pacific Games and 40th Independence ceremony. The company of excellence was good at promoting the companies in the first and second battalions.

NCD Metro Command Officer, Ben Isakuma says city police have resumed normal duties while the top echelon of the two Forces work through details of an investigation and possible arrests.

Police are on the lookout for opportunists also.

A statement from the Defence Force is expected today.

Picture shows deserted Borok after the fights yesterday.

He says the growing capacity of our Defence force is going to be even more important in the years ahead as challenges around the world increase.

“Our Disciplined Forces are also increasingly required to work as part of a whole-of-government effort,” he says.

O’Neill says that meeting some of the challenges in the years ahead including disasters will occur more than ever before due to climate change.

“We can expect more floods, more cyclones and more droughts to affect our country into the future.

Officer Cadet 813604  Katega Georgina from New Ireland Province was the only female alongside  the 27 male cadets who completed a tough two years of officer cadet training.

A slight shower in the morning and the cool breezes from Busu River brushed away the clouds to make it a fitting day for the passouts.

The parade was reviewed by Prime Minister Peter O'Neill and hosted by Commander Gilbert Toropo,  attended by Defence Minister Dr Fabian Fok, CIS Commissioner and Momase police chief Nema Mondiai,  among others.

Many of our readers have commented with sadness over the lost life of a young man

A reader, Yvonne Sele, commented under the link of an update over the arrests that she hoped justice would prevail for the young life gone too soon.

Other readers also expressed anger at the actions of a few soldiers who tarnished the reputation of the PNGDF. Gus Manh said that the culprits should be brought to justice, adding that there were many good soldiers and the actions of the wrongdoers tarnished the others’ reputations.

This was the rationale given as to why the training batch has been broken into two batches, one with the full male recruits while the other one is with a mixture of male and female trainees.

PNGDF Commander Brigadier General Gilbert Toropo tells PNG Loop that the next batch of soldiers that will go into the  Goldie training will consist of females as well.

However he would not confirm just how many would be among the recruits group that would be taking up the training.

 PNGDF Commander Gilbert Toropo says he is pleased so far with the training being carried out at the training barracks.

Toropo tells PNG Loop that the next batch will see females become  part of the enlistees while this batch sees  only male recruits in training.

Meantime, the parade tomorrow will begin at 10 am and see the training units pass out to go into their divisional training.