BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

MEDICAL and health, dental, fire and rescue services previously under the Directorate of Logistics, Ministry of Defence have been integrated into the Combat Support Services of the Royal Brunei Land Force (RBLF), its commander said yesterday.

RBLF Commander Brigadier General Dato Seri Pahlawan Hj Yussof Hj Abd Rahman announced the move on the occasion of the forces’ 53rd anniversary as a “historic milestone” for the RBLF in progressing and expanding toward the needs of the contemporary era.

In his address, he also pledged the RBLF’s undivided loyalty to the Minister of Defence and Supreme Commander of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces, His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, adding that “strong organisational structure” with a “united a committed force” would be key to realising RBLF’s mission to protect and defend the Sultanate’s sovereignty.

Brigadier General Dato Hj Yussof also gave an update on RBLF’s recent progress, including multiple exercises with foreign armed forces and the publishing of 18 books.

“These doctrine books are to be used as a guide in carrying out numerous activities, whether at tactical or operational level,” he said, adding that their issuing represented a significant success in increasing the quality and professionalism of the force.

He noted exercises between RBLF and the militaries of Singapore and Indonesia in the past year as notable achievements as well, with the Semangat Waja exercise scheduled for next April — involving RBLF, Combat Engineers of the Singapore Army and the British Army’s Royal Gurkha Rifles — as future measures to increase inter-operability between military units of foreign countries.

The commander also called for discipline in upholding RBLF’s name by adhering strictly to set procedure while continuing to be strong spiritually by being faithful and conscious of Allah SWT.

RBLF’s 53rd anniversary was also marked at the Penanjong Garrison, Lumut Camp, Tutong Camp, Pulau Baru-Baru and Bangar Camp where the commander’s message was delivered by the respective commanding officers of each base.

A Tahlil at the Royal Mausoleum and a Doa Kesyukuran at Surau Berakas were some of the other acitivites held to mark the anniversary over the past two weeks.

The Brunei Times