The 18th cohort of the Junior Command and Staff Course graduated on Friday, March 25 at the Rwanda Defence Force Command and Staff College in Nyakinama in Musanze District.

The 39 junior officers, who completed the five-month training, included RDF personnel and one officer of the Rwanda National Police.

At the graduation ceremony, Brig Gen Didas Ndahiro, Commandant of the RDF Command and Staff College, said the training is a cornerstone of organizational success of the RDF and the National Police.

"Today is an important day on our calendar," Ndahiro, who represented the RDF Chief of Defence staff, said.

"It is a day of celebrations, for we are celebrating the fruits of hard work of our graduating officers and, indeed, we are celebrating success."

He added: The RDF history demonstrates that there is a direct correlation between training and operational success. The value of the junior command and staff course is not the learning of new military concepts but the training of the mind to think."

The course, which is both technical and academic, was attended by officers who will work on a tactical level as army commanders while others will be staff members.

The graduands said the course prepared them for future command and staff functions.

"We've had different lessons about staff work as well as tactical lessons. We come from different departments and with the package we've got from this course I hope we will be able to do our daily work more professionally," Alliance Mukeshimana said.

The officers who graduated on Friday have ranks between captain and major.

"We are very happy to have completed this course after months of hard work. I've gained knowledge that will not just enable me to work professionally, it will also benefit the people I will be working with as a commander,” Jean-Pierre Maniraguha said.