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S A S O L D I E Rstories from 2005First black person appointedas the Chief of the SA NavyThe SA Navywill continueto grow anddevelop underhis leadership.By PO Dennis Ndaba(published in SASoldier: April 2005,page 11)Photo: F Sgt DavidNomtshongwanaThe SA NavalMess was abuzzwith dignitarieson 28 February2005. They borewitness to theformer Chief of the SANavy, V Adm JohanRetief, swallowing the anchor andstepping ashore for his well-deservedretirement. This was a milestone in thehistory of the SA Navy, as V AdmJohannes Mudimu became the firstblack person to be appointed as theChief of the SA Navy.In paying tribute to the former Chiefof the SA Navy, Gen Nyanda said thatwhat had impressed him most aboutV Adm Retief at the outset was hissoft-spoken approach and his disarmingsense of humour. Gen Nyandasaid: "He is a clear communicator withgreat clarity of mind. He is a veryarticulate leader. The Navy Reviewwas his immediate, tangible contribu-Gen Siphiwe Nyanda, the Chief of the SANDF, officiating as V Adm JohanRetief "hands over the watch" to V Adm Johannes Mudimu.tion. In spite of severe budget anyconstraints he was not a person tocomplain about the situation, butone who sought answers to theproblems."Gen Nyanda added that V AdmRetief had the gift of being able tomake complex issues seem straightforward,which allowed him to confrontand address these issues withease. He was also known for hisstrong views on training and theimportance of producing a balancedService in terms of gender and race.In terms of the Strategic DefencePackages, V Adm Retief had takenthe running of two navies in hisstride; his legacy is that it can be done.He added: "I welcome V AdmMudimu as the new Chief of the SANavy; he brings his own experienceand expertise to this vital office. I amsure the SA Navy will continue togrow and develop under the leadershipof V Adm Mudimu." GenNyanda added that the new Navyincluded four magnificent new ValourClass corvettes, three brand new Class209 submarines, and many new facilitiesthat will ensure a better quality oflife for our sailors. He said: "I knowthat the SA Navy will do well underthe guidance and leadership ofAdmiral Mudimu."28• M A Y 2 0 1 1
stories from 2005Saluting our Chiefs of the SA Air ForceBy PO Dennis Ndaba (published inSA Soldier: April 2005, page 10)Photo: F Sgt DavidNomtshongwanaThe SA Air Force was united in itsresolve to salute their formerChief, Lt Gen Roelf Beukes, anofficer par excellence, on a distinguishedcareer that spanned fortyyears of commitment and dedicationto duty. By the same token it welcomedtheir new Chief, Lt Gen CarloGagiano, to the helm.In his address at the change ofcommand parade at Bay's Hill inPretoria on 25 February 2005, Lt GenBeukes said that the fly-past and airdisplay brought back fond memoriesand he was really grateful for andproud of having been a former memberof the Silver Falcons, as well asOfficer Commanding of theCheetahs.Lt Gen Beukes said: "Over the lastten years I have seen the SA AirForce evolving from a force whichalmost exclusively operated insidethe country in support of the SAPolice Services, and humanitarianand disaster relief operations duringthe early nineties, to one which todayis required to deploy to all parts ofthe continent and beyond."Against the background ofGovernment initiatives to improvethe lives of the people of South Africaand its neighbours, the peacefulapplication of air power has becomea priority.Examples of such initiatives areLt Gen Roelf Beukes takes final compliments as theChief of the SA Air Force, while the new Chief of theSA Air Force, Lt Gen Carlo Gagiano, looks on.South African Gripen makes its debutArticle courtesy www.gripen.com(published in SA Soldier: December2005, page 12)South Africa's first completedGripen fighter was unveiled on 28October 2005 in Linköping,Sweden, during a roll-out ceremonyas it left the production line. The aircraft,which will be the first of 28Gripens to be delivered to the SA AirForce from 2008, will now be preparedfor a rigorous and thorough flight testthe present deployments in theDemocratic Republic of the Congo(DRC) and Burundi, and the repeateddiplomatic initiatives, supported bythe SA Air Force, to promote peaceand stability across the continent."New Chief of the SA Air ForceLt Gen Gagiano joined the SA AirForce in 1968 and qualified as a piloton the Air Macchi 326M in December1969. During his career he flew theHarvard, Pilatus PC 7, Vampire, F86Sabre, Mirage 111, FICZ, as well as theCheetah D and E aircraft. He wasappointed as the Officer Commanding3 Squadron, which operated F1CZ aircraft.In 1989 he was appointed as theOfficer Commanding 89 CombatFlying School, which was equippedwith Cheetah D aircraft. He occupiedprogramme to integrate South Africa'scustomised avionics and missions systems.Speaking on behalf of the SAGovernment at the roll-out ceremonyin Linköping, Sweden, South Africa'sMinister of Public Enterprises, Mr AlecErwin, highlighted the strategic significanceof South Africa's Gripen acquisitionand its role as a catalyst for broadindustrial, trade and economic developmentin South Africa.Sweden's Minister of Defence, MsS A S O L D I E Rthe post ofmilitaryattaché inIsrael from1991 until hisreturn toSouth Africain January1994. He completedtheSANDF's JointStaff Course inNovember1994 and wasthen transferredtoCentral FlyingSchoolLangebaan-weg as the Officer Commanding.After a four-year tour at Langebaanweg,he was transferred to theAir Force Office in December 1998,promoted to Brigadier General andappointed as the Inspector Generalof the SA Air Force. On 1 November2000 he was promoted to MajorGeneral and appointed as the ChiefDirector Operations Development atthe Joint Operations Divisionresponsible for defence capabilities,joint force employment strategy,joint command and control and jointdoctrine. Lt Gen Gagiano was transferredback to the SA Air Force asChief Director Air Policy and Plansresponsible for Air Force policy,capabilities, strategy and resourceallocation. He was appointed as theChief of the SA Air Force on 1March 2005.Leni Björklund, said Sweden wouldcontinue to develop further itsalready strong strategic, political,defence, industrial and economiclinks with South Africa:"The relations between our twocountries can only be described asexcellent. I would like to take thisopportunity to underline and manifestthe Swedish Government's desireto further develop and expand thesemuch appreciated relations," saidMs Leni BjörklundM A Y 2 0 1 1 • s29
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