The Nigerian Air Force on Friday, May 5, flew out 15 senior officers who marked their final exit after their meritorious service to the nation as part of activities marking its’ 59th Anniversary Celebration.
The retired 15 senior officers also witnessed a ceremonial parade mounted in their honour with colourful aerial displays of NAF’s fighter jets as well as other exhibitions.
The event which took place at the Ground Training Command, GTC, Enugu, saw five(5) Air Vice Marshalls of the Regular Combatant Course 37/38 (all pilots) and ten(10) Air Commodores of the Direct Regular Course 10, flying out of the service.
They were flown out in a Lockheed C-130 Hercules plane belonging to the Nigerian Air Force.
Speaking on behalf of the retired officers, Air Vice Marshall Dauda Garuba Prayero, reminiscent with nostalgia, how the journey started some decades ago.
According to Prayero, “The difficult times and challenging moments during their service years when some of our course mates left unceremoniously, while some paid the supreme price in the defence of our fatherland. May they rest in peace.
“The journey so far has been quite eventful and the experience over the years cannot be quantified. Just like any life endeavour, there are pleasant times and memories, but at the end of it all, we can proudly say we thank God all is well that ends well,“ Prayero said.
Prayero appreciated the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshall Oladayo Amao by referring to him as a pragmatic leader and mentor.
“Your selfless and unbiased leadership has motivated us all to realize and express ourselves to our full potential as no one achieves success in any endeavour without the help and contributions of others.
“To our colleagues, both serving and retired, I say we are grateful and appreciative of the support you gave us while we were still trying to discover ourselves in the service up to this moment.
“To all our colleagues still serving, I would like to assure you that we will not let you down even in retirement as we shall continue to deploy our skills, expertise and experience to better the course of the Nigerian Air Force and the nation at large. As we take a bow out of the service, we wish you well and may you always walk away from your landings,“ Prayero stated.
