Nay Pyi Taw August 9
Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Senior General Min Aung Hlaing yesterday and today attended the Choice of Arms selection ceremony of the Defence Services Academy at Thiri Hall of the DSA in PyinOoLwin and selected cadets of the 61st Intake of DSA for the Choice of Arms.
Together with the Senior General, Commander-in-Chief (Navy) Admiral Tin Aung San, Commander-in-Chief (Air) General Maung Maung Kyaw, senior military officers of the Office of the Commander-in-Chief and Commandant of DSA Brig-Gen Htin Latt Oo also attended the ceremony and took part in selecting the cadets for the Choice of Arms.
In the afternoon, the Senior General and party enjoyed lunch together with cadets at the Anawrahta Battalion mess and the Bayintnaung Battalion mess and continued the Choice of Arms selection process.
This evening, the Senior General met professors, officer lecturers and other faculty members of the academic sector of the DSA at Nawade Hall. First ,Rector Brig-Gen Thant Zin Ohn reported on the structure of the academic department and duties and conducting of master’s degree courses, doctorate degree courses and language courses.
Speaking on the occasion, the Senior General said military leaders need to be educated. Defence Services Academy is a university turning out educated military leaders. Only those who are met with the set qualifications are being trained to obtain master’s and doctoral degrees so they become educated. And they need to have real qualifications. In the sector of training cadets, individuals are being trained to become officers able to well handle a platoon. Basic training is given to them so that they, regardless of where they are assigned, army, navy or air forces, can fight battles alongside with infantry units. When it comes to teaching academic subjects, it is also necessary to train them to be well-versed in their respective branches of study so they can obtain degrees they deserve.
As tertiary education widens the scope of knowledge of a person, reading must be emphasized rather than learning by rote. Only then, will they be able to forge critical thinking in their lives. For the knowledge of cadets, libraries are being opened and necessary publications provided. Those responsible need to make sure that they are willing to read those books. Subjects on arts concerning ideology are being given to the cadets to have ideological and critical thinking skills in turning out them to become the military leaders with farsightedness. Enhancement of education plays a key role in building the Tatmadaw as a standard army. Currently, as not only a single subject but also IT technologies are developing, the cadets need to have skills in respective technologies. Hence, necessary items of teaching aid have been provided. Likewise, the Senior General stressed the need to systematically teach English language to the cadets to have high proficient skill as the Tatmadaw has to build friendly relations with international armed forces. The guardians should train the cadets with fatherly spirit and teach them to have good morals in line with the motto of the Defence Services Academy—Honour, Valour and Wisdom. Leaders must culture the spirit of good commander and the fatherly spirit. The guardian system is being practised to train and nature them to have the fatherly spirit. The Senior General pointed out that it is necessary to give the deep training to the officers who are attending the master’s and doctorate courses to meet the international standards. The Senior General urged the post-graduate officers to try hard to uplift their qualification.
