2016-03-07Staff Report 2 Karibib President Hage Geingob says he is convinced that the country is in safe hands when it comes to the capabilities of the Namibian Air Force. The president during his first visit as commander-in-chief of the country’s armed forces to the air force wing, situated 10 kilometres outside Karibib, was very impressed by the capabilities of the air force after an impeccable display of skills on Friday. Members of the force demonstrated their capabilities with a K-8 fighter aircraft as well as an evacuation exercise to welcome President Geingob who is on a familiarisation visit to the Namibian Defence Force (NDF). The air force is one of the three service branches of the NDF, which include the army and navy. “You set up a fantastic air performance to show that we are safe as long as you are in the sky. I don’t know if it was meant to scare me, but I am impressed and convinced that the nation is safe as long as the air force is in the sky,” he said. “You are comparing yourself with the best and not the worst. Your mission is to protect Namibia’s air sovereignty and I can see you are mentally well equipped just as you demonstrated today.” The president said this on Friday after a lengthy closed-door meeting with senior officials of the air force.Geingob then encouraged members of the air force to sustain their integrity, professionalism and patriotism as those are among the most important aspects in terms of nation building. “Our core values are very important, especially to build this nation. I am following up the legacy of the founding father, Dr Sam Nujoma, and our previous president, Hifikepunye Pohamba, and some of the force members that are present here who liberated this country. We are all tasked to take care of our people. Therefore we must sacrifice everything because we are servants of our people,” the president said. Meanwhile, the headquarters of the Namibian Air Force have been relocated from Grootfontein to Karibib in the Erongo Region. According to Lieutenant Colonel Monica Sheya the headquarters are now located at the Karibib Air Force Base. Responding to questions, Sheya said the Grootfontein Air Force Base is also still operational, and that just a component of the operations relocated to Karibib as the town is more centrally positioned to respond to internal emergencies compared to Grootfontein. Construction of the Karibib Air Force Base started in 2008 already and is being implemented in phases. Currently phases 1 to 3 are completed which include accommodation quarters, a state-of-the-art military hospital and a kitchen. Phase four is currently under way. 2016-03-07Staff Report 2
