NAF personnel tasked to embrace sporting activities to remain fit for combat operations

Hasan Abubakar, the Air Officer Commanding (AOC), Nigerian Air Force (NA) Logistics Command, says that regularly engaging in sporting activities will ensure fitness of its personnel for combat operations.

Abubakar said this on Saturday at the force’s First Quarter Route March Exercise 2022 held at the Sam Ethan Base, Ikeja, Lagos State.

“I congratulate all of us for having successfully completed the First Quarter Route March Exercise 2022 with no casualty recorded.

“The aim of the exercise is to ensure the physical fitness as well as combat effectiveness of all NAF personnel and also to ensure our readiness toward performing our constitutional roles,” the AVM said.

Abubakar said that such an exercise would also foster discipline, regimentation and esprit de corps, which were in tandem with the key drivers of the vision of the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Isiaka Amao.

“The importance of sports and physical fitness to military men cannot be overemphasised.

“As soldiers, it is important that we remain physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually and psychologically fit to carry out our responsibilities as defenders of our nation’s territorial integrity.

“Mental and physical fitness are like the opposite sides of the same coin; one must be present for the other to thrive, that is why it is said that a healthy mind lives in a healthy body,” he said.

The AVM said that the NAF placed a high premium on physical fitness and had continued to invest in it  to ensure that it was well maintained among all its personnel.

“This is done through several activities like the march exercise, regular weekly games, intra- and-inter command sporting competitions as well as providing facilities such as gyms and swimming pools in our bases,” he said.

Abubakar said that the inter-units and inter-command sporting competitions for the year would soon begin and urged  NAF personnel to make sure that logistics command comes first in the competition.

“Therefore, we must create time for activities that will build our strength, vascular endurance, agility, flexibility, coordination and balance among others to ensure optimum performance.

“I assure those that will compete and win in those competitions very handsome rewards.

“I urge you all to continue to be disciplined and be law-abiding anywhere you may find yourself as good ambassadors of the NAF,” he advised.