Niël Terblanché
The Namibian Navy Marine Corps Battalion members have been deployed to other units in the Namibian Defence Force because of the high demand for their skills as soldiers.
The Namibian Marine Corps Battalion celebrated its seventh anniversary since its inception into the Namibian Navy at the Marine Battalion Headquarters at the Tashia Nakada Barracks at Rooikop near Walvis Bay on Friday.
The Marine Commandant, Captain Olavi Shipunda said that the development of the corps has come a long way and the progress in all aspects is commendable thus far.
“The unit is determined to ensure that personnel development is at all levels improved and the acquisition of equipment is boosted,” Shipunda said.
The Marine Commandant said that the corps has successfully extended aid to civilian authorities such as joint operations with the Namibian Police on crime prevention, assistance during COVID-19, relief programmes, and flood assessment in the northern regions, and protection of Very Important Persons.
Shipunda said that the Marine Corps deployment of personnel is active in areas such as Naval Calling Station Lüderitz and Naval Base Impalila.
“Other members of the corps have been deployed on a detachment basis or on a permanent basis to different units within the Namibian Defence Force (NDF) because of their skill demand,” he said.
According to Shipunda, the establishment of the corps would not have been possible without the assistance of the Brazilian Navy’s Marine Corps.
The assistance started in 2008 when the first group of Brazilian Marines Advisory Training Team (BRAZMATT) arrived in Namibia to familiarize themselves with the situation on the ground and in 2009 the first ever training of the Namibian Marines started at the Marine Corps Training School which today is called the Naval Training School.
At the same event, Commander Twakulilwa N Hekandjo was officially assigned command of the Marine Corps Battalion. His tenure as the Marine Commandant started on 28 July 2023.
The Namibian Navy Marine Corps was officially commissioned on 22 July 2016.
