| Sports |
Army officers
learn writing skills
By THOMAS KILALA
Nineteen PNG Defence Force
Commissioned Officers will graduate today from a two and a half
month intensive military training at the PNG Defence Academy in
Lae, Morobe province.
The two highlights of the training was a course conducted by
academics from the University of PNG on Project Management and
field trips to Ramu Sugar Processing Plant and the Yonki Hydro
plant.
The workshop on project management conducted by Academics Banny
Aloi and Emmanuel Gorea was an eye opener for the officers as it
was the first of its kind conducted for military officers to
enhance their knowledge on how to write a proposal to seek funding
for a project.
The workshop also revealed that the military has been confined to
its own organization for too long and must now learn to adapt to
changes in the civilian world.
Apart from that in the Defence Force there are established
systematic ways of doing things and communicating which many times
is very difficult for civilians to understand.
During the workshop officers realized that they have not been
speaking a common language dialect that civilian and government
entities can understand and provide the necessary assistance
required by the Defence Force.
The students including staff from the Officer Training Wing were
part into five syndicates and tasked to identify a subject where
they can formulate a project proposal that will be presented to
the Department of National Planning and Monitoring for possible
funding.
Normally such documents take more then two weeks to complete
before it is delivered to the appropriate authorities.
However with what they learnt the officers were able to compile
their proposals in two days and nights before handing their
documents to the Defence policy branch.
During the close of the workshop last week the Defence secretary
Fredrick Punangi and Assistant Secretary for Planning under Law &
Order Sector of the Planning department Ms Hakaua Harry were
special guests said they were impressed with the student’s power
point written project presentations.
Secretary Punangi told the students they are privilege to have
such training which is important at this time when the Defence
Force is embarking on its second phase of the Defence Reform.
He added that the Department needs about K80 to K100 million to
refurbish, repair or conduct maintenance on its existing assets
such as health centres, swimming pools, water tanks and pumps,
office buildings, gymnasium in its establishments.
The nineteen student officers including Officer Training Wing
Staff and five civilians from the Department of Defence were
presented Certificates by the Defence Secretary last Friday.
Meanwhile Monday this week the nineteen students went a field trip
to Ramu Sugar to see for themselves how the sugar is processed.
The students were put into four groups and were taken on a tour of
the processing plant.
The productions manager briefly explained the eleven basic steps
of processing sugar, pre -milling, milling, juice treatment and
boilers. Then came evaporators, syrup treatment to vacuum pan,
centrifugal to drying, packing and finally distribution.
The officers then visited the Yonki hydro electricity plant in
Western Highlands.
The Yonki power plant supplies up to 66,000 watts of electricity
to the Highlands region, and 132,000 watts to Lae city.
The officers also visited Aiyura National high school and Kainantu
town before taking a a three and a half hour drive on the Okuk
Highway back to Lae.
 
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