Malawi army commander inducted into international fellow Hall of Fame

The Malawi Defence Force  (MDF) Commander, General Griffin Supuni Phiri is the latest General Officer to have beeen inducted into the International Fellow Hall of Fame (IFHOF) at a ceremony that took place at Sofitel Rabat Jardin Des Roses Hotel in Rabat, Morocco on 26 June 2018.

Speaking during the ceremony, the current President of the United States of America National Defence University (NDU), Vice Admiral Fritz Roegge said that the IFHOF is designed to recognize the outstanding international NDU graduates who have risen to the most senior leadership positions in their countries’ armed forces or governments.

“The IFHOF is a prestigious and visible means of honouring the NDU graduates who have attained, through merit, the highest positions in their nation’s armed forces or who have held equivalent positions in government or multinational organizations. General Phiri has certainly done that” he said.

“While I am confident that each of you takes from NDU the benefits of a rigorous academic experience, I am equally confident that what you give to us, your views and perspective are so much more valuable. So General Phiri now sits here representing the alumni of the NDU as he gets inducted into the IFHOF,” he added.

Vice Admiral Roegge also mentioned that NDU is priviledged  to be entrusted with so many talented professionals and it is not surprising that they go on to achieve professional success during their careers in their countries.

“Today General Phiri joins more than one hundred of his fellow alumni who have reached positions of the highest distinction in their respective fields as Ambassadors, Ministers, Chiefs of Services and Chiefs of Defence Forces,” he said.

“General Phiri, your service has brought great credit upon your country, your classmates, your fellow alumni and to NDU as a whole. Thank you for your years of dedicated service to your country and to our collective partnerships.” Vice Admiral Roegge concluded.

In his own words, General Phiri, a graduate of the NDU Class of 2005, said that NDU helped him a lot in shaping him to become what he is today.

“Through the education in military strategy, foreign culture and strategic thinking, among many others. I find it easier to deal with situations perceived to be difficult in a mature manner. This is because the NDU broadened my understanding of key strategic areas and enhanced my leadership skills.” He said.

“Besides transforming my personal development. I must confess that the course also helped me understand the world better; how it is interconnected, how national and international politics work, and how to handle diplomacy issues in a professional manner.” He added.

The IFHOF was established in in 1999 and recognition of this distinguished status includes inscription of the inductee’s name on the IFHOF Plaque to be displayed with a photograph, along with other inductees in the IFHOFin Marshall Hall at the NDU campus in Washington, a Certificate and a Hall of Fame Memento.Members of the IFHOF are recognized in a formal ceremony on NDU campus. However, for the first time in history, this IFHOF Induction ceremony took place outside the NDU Campus. General Griffin Spoon Phiri is the 63rd NDU International Fellow and the first Malawian to be inducted.

General Phiri joins other reputable and high profile individuals as IFHOF inductee. These include Honourable Collin Powel, the former US Secretary of State, Ambassador B. Lynn Pascoe, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations at the UN Department of Political Affairs, Rear Admiral Mohamed Sane, Chief of Staff of Senegalese Navy,General LamineCisse, former Special Representative to the UN Secretary General and Executive Director of the UN Office in Central Africa Republic and The US Senator and former US Presidential candidate John Maccain from Arizoma.

In General Phiri’s Class of 2005, the following were already inducted into the IFHOF: Major General Kenrick Maharaj, Chief of Defence Staff, Trinidad & Tobago, Major General Alojz Steiner, Chief of General Staff of Slovenian Armed Forces,Major General RaimondsGraube, Commander of the National Armed Forces of Republic of Latvia, Vice Admiral Tomasz Mathea,Commander-in-Chief of Polish Navy, Major General EdvardasMažeikis,  Commander of Lithuanian Air Force andVice Admiral Raymond Griggs, Chief of Australian Navy.

During the Induction Ceremony, the following citation was read when a certificate was being presented to General Griffin Spoon Phiri, “The United States National Defence University, Fort McNair, Washington, DC., in recognition of outstanding achievement, hereby inducts into the United States National Defence University International Fellows Hall of Fame General Griffin Spoon Phiri, NWC 2005, Commander of the Malawi Defence Force, by order of the Vice Admiral Fritz Roegge, USN, 16th President, National Defence University, dated the 26th Day of June 2018”

The IFHOF Induction ceremony was one of the activities during the NDU Global Alumni Summit that started from 25 – 29 June 2018 whose objective was to enhance the vital and vibrant alumni network of security professionals, reaching every corner of the planet and comprising 140 nations. This year’s NDU Global Alumni Summit theme was “Combating Terrorism and Building Partner Capacity” and attracted participants from USA, Tunisia, Thailand, Senegal, Malawi, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Romania, Botswana, Malawi and the host Morocco among others.

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