The US Naval War College has donated books to the Defense Command and Staff College, an institution that provides military training to senior ranking officers in preparation for assuming command and staff appointment duties.
Speaking during the donation ceremony, the Acting Commandant, DCSC Colonel Joseph Seelo, said the US Naval War College had become their greatest academic partner.
Seelo said “the donation comes at a critical time when our diploma and masters programmes, delivered by the University of Botswana, have been inaugurated”.
He added that “as an institution of higher learning, books are enablers to academic/ military development and excellence”.
The books range from operational warfare to strategy and force planning.
The DCSC is the highest military institution in BDF and has established professional relationships not only with US Naval College but with other professional military institutions around the world.
Seelo said, as a defense force, they share a common military and diplomatic affinity with the United States and this has resulted in close cooperation between the two nations. He added that the military cooperation between the two countries was a calculated move made to build capacity of both students, members of the directing staff and auxiliary staff.
Handing over the books to the Botswana Defense Force Commander, Tebogo Masire, the US Ambassador to Botswana, Stephen Nolan, commended the DCSC, saying it is an important College in developing military training in the country.
Nolan said that “the future of BDF is assured by the outstanding college, which is currently the leading military institution in Southern Africa”.
He added that the knowledge that will be given to the commanders will not only benefit Botswana but the Southern Africa region.
Masire appreciated the donation from the US Naval College saying it is a great contribution to the staff college Library. He said support from US is very strong. He said Botswana has been relying on US military colleges for training until the formation of DCSC.
He announced that the new DCSC building at the Glen Valley barracks is already under construction and is expected to be completed in the next 18 months.
