The Nigerian Army School of Infantry (NASI) on Thursday graduated hundreds of soldiers across multiple specialised courses at the Jaji Drop Zone, in a ceremony marked by live combat parachute jumps and the decoration of newly qualified paratroopers.
Students of Advance Airborne Course 31, Basic Rigger Course 48, Basic Airborne Course 61, and Nigerian Defence Academy Cadets Basic Airborne Course 10 received their airborne wings after completing the required number of military parachute jumps for qualification.
The Commander Infantry Corps (CIC), Major General Godwin Michael Mutkut, who served as Special Guest of Honour, urged graduates to apply their skills toward defending Nigeria’s territorial integrity and addressing the country’s security challenges.
“Personnel must remain steadfast, professional and committed to duty,” Mutkut said, adding that airborne expertise was critical to achieving lasting peace and stability across the country’s theatres of operation. He also called on the new paratroopers to pursue further military education to stay relevant in an evolving security environment.
NASI Commandant Major General Frank Sunday Etim noted that students had undergone rigorous physical conditioning, airborne drills and psychological training to earn their wings, warning that airborne operations demand precision, as any lapse “could result in serious consequences.” He invoked the corps’ standing motto: “I Will Be Sure Always.”
In a separate ceremony earlier in the day, Etim also presided over the graduation of Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) Driving and Maintenance Section Commanders Course 40, charging those graduates to serve as force multipliers by passing on their skills within their respective units. He described the APC as “a critical battlefield platform” whose mobility, protection and firepower remain indispensable to modern military operations.
The ceremonies concluded with combat graduation jumps, award presentations and a group photograph. #Securitynewsalert.com
