Naypyitaw December 21
As the role of women in the world is higher, the role of female troops in armed forces across the global countries improves, and it can be seen that female troops are discharging higher duties. Likewise, it is visible that female military personnel are being annually turned out as of 2014 for serving the defence duty of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar as part of enhancing the role of women.
This morning, the Passing-out Parade of the 7th Intake of Graduate Female Cadet Course which will add new generations to the female military service personnel sector of the Tatmadaw took place at the parade ground of the Defence Services (Army) Officers Training School (Hmawby) in Yangon, with an address delivered by Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Senior General Maha Thray Sithu Min Aung Hlaing.
Present at the parade together with the Senior General were Commander-in-Chief (Navy) Admiral Zeya Kyawhtin Tin Aung San, Commander-in-Chief (Air) General Zeya Kyawhtin Maung Maung Kyaw, senior military officers from the Office of the Commander-in-Chief (Army), the commander of Yangon Command, the commandant of Defence Services (Army) Officers Training School (Hmawby) and senior military officers from Hmawby Station.
First, the Senior General took salute of the graduate cadet company and presented Best Cadet Award to Cadet No. 72 Cadet April Cho.
In his address, the Senior General said every citizen has to undergo military training and to serve in the Armed Forces to safeguard the independence and sovereignty of the country. Hence, it is an honour bestowed on your aspiration to carry out defence duty despite being female. All of you who entail passing of this course by a series of training in which subjects on military tactics and fieldcraft, leadership and General Staff, Adjutant and Quartermaster (GAQ) embracing morale, morality, persistency, perseverance and endeavour are going to be appointed as commissioned officers.
The Senior General continued to say that you all who are going to serve as junior leaders in the respective units need to put an effort onwards continual improvement with a high composition of acquired lessons and practical tasks. I would also like to urge that it needs to read books for the enlightenment of acquired knowledge and expertise and make full use of those in the practical field. Despite the prevalence of electronic devices and media development nowadays, it is unquestionable that the decline in the percentage of reading amongst young and old persons was steeper than those of former times. I would also like to urge that it is needed to foster a good habit of reading by yourself and your colleagues. Only then, you would be full of wisdom and knowledge and could thrive on every single hardship following the motto, “Knowledge is Power”.
Graduate female cadets who are going to serve as junior leaders deserve the qualities of leadership. Military leadership is the process of accomplishing the assigned mission together with subordinates. It is also the ability of organizing the subordinates till the mission is accomplished. The virtuous leaders should lead subordinates under the sixteen characteristics of leadership without any discrimination. Prudence and justice moral virtues are of vital importance for a good leader. Meanwhile, self-control and endeavour are the points to be a good leader. Leaders have to cultivate the vision and mission to constitute a worthwhile organization. The core leadership skill is a pivotal career coaching on dealing with hardships. Since the realm of leadership is a vast range of measures, leaders have to streamline lean and mean missions to the cohesive forces by utilizing the theoretical and practical impact through life-career.
It needs to abide by the discipline and orders through military career. You also have to preserve the twined-discipline: exhortation and prohibition with a sense of consideration. As a citizen, military personnel not only steadfastly practise military rules and regulations but also follow the law and disciplines promulgated by the Nation. Furthermore, we adhere to the Laws of War aligned with international practice. It is a point that we military personnel are to refrain from violating the law and then the action will be taken against subordinates in pursuit of civil and military laws without taking sides of the wrong course of action if they commit. Therefore, I would like to emphasize you have to abide by the promulgated law, orders and directives, rules and regulations through military career.
As regards the duty of national defence of all the citizens, the Senior General said, “Section 386 of the 2008 Constitution states every citizen has the duty to undergo military training in accord with the provisions of the law and to serve in the Armed Forces to defend the Union. Myanmar is geographically contiguous to the populated countries. Our country plays as a land bridge between ASEAN and South Asia. Myanmar pivoted on the geographical and strategic figure. In this regard, it is a must for every citizen to undergo military training and to serve in the Armed Forces to safeguard the independence and sovereignty. Hence, it is an honour bestowed on your aspiration to carry out defence duty despite being female. I would also like to impart that you are obliged to organize every citizen who comes of age for defence duty and military training to safeguard the Nation.”
Then, the Senior General said although the turnover of governmental bodies handles with parametric time trends around the world, the Nation and Tatmadaw will remain constant. There must be a defence institution, the Tatmadaw for the perpetuation of national sovereignty. Here I would like to express that every citizen is responsible for powerful Tatmadaw. Though we made a tryst with destiny by a lot of sacrifices for years, it can be possible to relinquish independence in a few days or a few months.
As regards the national defence duty of the Tatmadaw, the Senior General said, “As there is no greater loss for a nation than the loss of its independence, every citizen has full responsibility to safeguard the perpetuation of the National sovereignty. The main duty of the Tatmadaw is the National defence. The term “Defence” is composed of comprehensive meanings. I would also like to urge that it needs to take paramount duties to National Defence; to safeguard territorial integrity, lives and property of people, to protect national interests, to deal with the disaster and to take preventive measures of infectious disease and famine for people.”
The Senior General also said our country embarked on the road of democracy for ten years. A multi-party democracy optioned by people’s desire need to be entwined with stability and disciplines. Democracy says the comprehensive meanings; even so, abiding by law and discipline is quintessential. Consequently, I would like to say that you will have to embrace the perpetuation of democracy. Military personnel are always ready and steadfast in their commitment to take responsibility anywhere. Every military personnel need to constitute sustainable training for combat readiness and healthy lifestyle for those training. As the mission would not be accomplished on the battlefield if you were unfit for duty, you have to enhance the combat capability of Tatmadaw through sustainable training. Military personnel need to be healthy and train for fitness and to do necessary physical exercises daily as a real Tatmadaw member. To build a capable Tatmadaw, you have to exercise individual training, collective training and joint operation training in accord with the core principles of the training in Tatmadaw: Be Fit, Be Competent, Be Brave. Personal fitness, competence and confidence through substantial training will support to leave no stone unturned the mission. Here I would like to reiterate that military personnel are to be trained for health and fitness to carry out the national defence duty.
The Senior General urged them to embrace the virtuous tradition of Tatmadaw etched in the annals of history, to conduct the characteristics of leadership and look forward to the commitment of subordinates and yourself a reality, to endeavour to become the triumphant officers imbued with three-capability, to serve the assigned duties as junior leaders pivoted on self-determination and effort and to prove your mettle as the remarkable female officers for the Nation and the Tatmadaw.
The Senior General took the salute of the cadet company and left the parade ground.
After the parade, the Senior General met best cadet award winner Cadet April Cho and best shooting award winner Cadet Naw Kyin Than and made an honorary speech at the parlour of the avenue of Defence Services (Army) Officers Training School (Hmawby).
In his honorary speech, the Senior General said it was a great honour for them to receive outstanding awards urging them to try to keep their hard work they have done throughout the training course in life. Graduate female officers had made learning of university education and post-graduate studies before they took this course. As tertiary education nurtures them with way of thinking and develops skills, the Senior General expressed his firm believes that they have become qualified persons. Thanks to their hard work during the cadet training course, they have become brilliant female officers. One cannot leave everything to one’s fate but success in life is dependent upon one’s real effort, regardless of the past and present. Likewise, everything must be done out of wisdom and consideration as a man of intellect can protect his life from being risked. Junior leaders are being turned out as the State and the Tatmadaw need them. They for their part must try to become good leaders. They also need to stay healthy and self-controlled. Without self-control, they may lead into the wrong path. So, it must be aware of the fact that self-indulgence can spoil one’s life. Indecent behavior and code of costume must be avoided. They must promote the dignity of the Tatmadaw by successfully performing the duties they are assigned in a correct manner. They also need to repay a debt of gratitude to their parents who have been caring for them since their childhood by trying to become good persons and providing them with physical and mental support such as giving them what they need. They must continue to work hard to achieve success in life without losing the goals by continuously maintaining experiences in social relations they received at universities and the basic concepts and skills they were taught during the training.
