By Victor Akaa.
The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar, has charged graduates of Junior Course 97 at the Armed Forces Command and Staff College (AFCSC), Jaji to embrace three essential leadership qualities: decisiveness, risk management, and focus on achieving their desired end-state.
Speaking at the graduation ceremony, on Thursday, Air Marshal Abubakar emphasized that indecisiveness is not an option for junior commanders and that good judgment is critical to operational success.
According to the statement relayed to Enugu Reporters on Friday by the Nigerian Air Force spokesperson, Air Vice Marshal Edward Gabkwet, the CAS encouraged the graduates to take calculated risks, balance mitigation strategies, and focus on achieving their higher-level objectives.
“If you consider all the information available at your disposal but decide too late, you would have wasted your time and possibly lost resources and valuable lives.
“If you want to learn good judgment and be decisive, you must take action to achieve your higher-level objectives. Sometimes, you will fail. However, you will never truly succeed if you don’t try and take action,” he noted.
The CAS also highlighted key competencies for professional success, including leading with integrity, tactical and technical proficiency, fostering a cohesive team environment, adapting to new technologies, and being agile and resilient in the face of adversity.
Air Marshal Abubakar acknowledged the complex security challenges facing the nation, including the acquisition of commercial technologies by non-state actors including drones and satellite communications. However, he expressed confidence in the graduates’ ability to lead and adapt to achieve proficiently in their operations due to their sufficient training at the College.
*“With these skills and competencies, you are ready to lead and make a difference in the operational environment,”* Air Marshal Abubakar concluded.
Enugu Reporters reports that the graduation ceremony marked the completion of Junior Course 97, which comprised 361 students from the Nigerian Army, the Nigerian Navy, the Nigerian Air Force, and foreign officers, as well as representatives from Ministries, Departments, and Agencies.
