His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, Supreme Commander of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces and Minister of Defence hailed the establishment of the Officer Cadet School (OCS), which will enable the country to produce army officers with leadership qualities and contribute towards the progress of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF).

His Majesty delivered a titah yesterday at the Sovereign Parade Ceremony for the 1st Intake Officer Cadets at the Parade Square of the RBAF Officer Cadet School (OCS) in Sungai Akar Camp.

The new batch of officer cadets is the first intake to graduate from the Royal Brunei Armed Forces Officers' Cadet School.

His Majesty expressed his confidence that the new cadet officers are capable of becoming leaders as they are intellectually sound and equipped with military skills on par with international standards.

His Majesty praised the continuing support and guidance from parents and family members of the cadets, which have helped them to succeed.

"I would like to take this opportunity to personally thank all parents and family members, especially those who are present here at the ceremony. We all should be proud of the achievement (of the officer cadets) accomplished today," His Majesty said.

"I truly hope that the Officer Cadet School will continue to improve to become the best among the best," the monarch added.

There are plans to relocate the school to a new location with more modern facilities and in line with the plans to establish a Military Academy.

"To reach this vision, all cadet officers, regardless whether they have graduated or are still undergoing training, must continue to work hard and maintain their discipline wherever there are assigned to," His Majesty said.

"I call upon all cadet officers to become good role models not just to the lower-ranked personnel and those they lead but also to the public," His Majesty added.

"It is also their responsibility to utilise the knowledge and skills they have gained to upgrade their inner qualities whilst maintaining the good name of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces," His Majesty said.

The Supreme Commander of the RBAF also urged relevant parties to give priority to the aspects of health and safety during military training.

"As we all know, military training involves activities that are challenging and personnel are exposed to high risk."

The monarch expressed his appreciation and congratulated all 32 Cadet Officers from the first intake who have completed their training to become officers of the RBAF.

His Majesty concluded by reminding all that the accomplishment today is just the beginning of a long road for the new cadet officers. - Borneo Bulletin (24th July 2009)