Namibian Military School
logo.jpg) | |
| Type | Military Academy |
|---|---|
| Established | 1970's |
| Dean | Prof Frednard Gideon |
| Commandant | Brig Gen Wilbard Shikongo |
| Undergraduates |
|
| Postgraduates | Master of Arts in Security and Strategic Studies (MA-SSS) |
| Location |
Okahandja,  Namibia |
| Campus | Okahandja |
| Affiliations |
University of Namibia Namibian Defence Force |
| Website | http://www.unam.edu.na/faculty-of-science/military-science/ |
The Namibian Military School is a training unit of the Namibian Defence Force. As per international norm the School is a military unit of the Namibian Defence Force (NDF) and It is housed in the School of Military Science of the University of Namibia.
It is the premier training institution of the Namibian military and offers a variety of training ranging from basic military training to undergraduate as well as postgraduate academic qualification. It provides officers of all the arms of service an opportunity to earn a military science oriented qualification.
History
The school traces its roots back to the Namibian Liberation struggle when the forerunner to today's military school was established in late 1979 as the "SWA Military School" by the South West African Territorial Force during the South African administration of Namibia.[1] The school is the primary training unit of the force. It is partly based at the Osona Military base. It is also one of two NDF training institutions that offer the six-month basic military training (BMT) to all recruits wanting a career in the Namibian Defence Force.[2] The school also conducts training for all officer cadets in the force.[3]
In 2012 it was announced that the Ministry of Defence and the University of Namibia agreed to twin up and come up with a degree level military science curriculum to provide cadet officers with a degree level qualification.[4]
Location
The school is located at the military base of Osona outside Okahandja. The main academic campus is being built within the town of Okahandja.[5] Some of the B.Mil classes are offered at the University of Namibia Campus in Windhoek.
Training offered
- Basic training
As the primary training institution, basic training for all NDF recruits is undertaken at the Osona military base outside Okahandja. Basic training for recruits is six months long, and is offered in two phases, Basic Military Training and Platoon Weapons.
Some of the military aspects covered include drills, field craft, skill at arms, minor tactics, coin ops, military hygiene, military law, military aspects, first aid, map reading, law of armed conflict and conventional warfare.[6]
- Officer Cadet course
A cadet officers' course is run at the military school.
- Undergraduate offerings
- Bachelor of Military Science (Honours)
As of 2013, the University of Namibia and the military school jointly began offering the undergraduate Bachelor of Military Science (Honours) degree with three specialization areas, Aeronautical, Army and Nautical. The Nautical specialization is sub-divided into an additional three fields: Nautical-Electronics, Nautical-Mechanical and Nautical-Weapon Systems.[7]
- Postgraduate offerings
- Postgraduate diploma in Security and Strategic Studies
- Master of Arts in Security and Strategic Studies (MA-SSS)[8]
The MA-SSS programme was the first implemented as a joint curriculum between UNAM and the Ministry of Defence in 2007. It is a master's level degree. It mainly enrolls senior officers of the Namibian military. In 2012 the postgraduate diploma in Security and Strategic Studies was also initiated by the Ministry of Defence and UNAM as a "bridging" course to help students prepare for the tougher Master of Arts in Security and Strategic Studies degree course.[9]
Commandants
- Unknown date - 18 April 2011 Brigadier General Joseph Kakoto
- 18 April 2011- 1 April 2014 Brigadier General Fredrick Siluzungila
- 1 April 2014 - current Brigadier General Wilbard Shikongo
References
- ↑ "Death in the Desert: The Namibian Tragedy: Namibianizing The War - Namibia". Namibweb.com. Retrieved 2015-05-01.
- ↑ "Ministry of Defence". Gov.na. Retrieved 2015-05-01.
- ↑ "Ministry of Defence". Gov.na. Retrieved 2015-05-01.
- ↑ "First ever Bachelor of Military Science in 2013" (PDF). My.unam.na. Retrieved 2015-05-01.
- ↑ "Military School to cost N$14 million". Newera.com.na. Retrieved 2015-05-01.
- ↑ http://www.mod.gov.na/pdfs/speech%20brig%20mso.pdf
- ↑ "UNAM - School of Military Science". Unam.edu.na. Retrieved 2015-05-01.
- ↑ "UNAM - School of Military Science". Unam.edu.na. University of Namibia. Retrieved 2015-05-01.
- ↑ "Ministry of Defense". Mod.gov.na. Retrieved 2015-05-01.