Three junior officers of the Armed Forces of Malta achieved top awards during military training in the United Kingdom and the USA, the AFM said today.
At the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in the UK, 2nd Lieut. Pasquale Papa (aged 26, from B'Bugia and a B. Educ graduate) followed a 44-week long Commissioning Course as an overseas officer cadet. He completed his course with flying colours, and was awarded the prestigious ‘Overseas Sword' award together with a number of other prizes during the Sovereign's Parade.
2nd Lieut. Papa received his award from General Sir Peter Wall, Commander-in-Chief UK Land Forces, representing the Queen. The Overseas Sword is awarded to the Overseas Cadet considered by the Academy's Commandant, to be the best of his course. It is presented by the Kuwaiti Ministry of Defence in memory of Sheikh Ali Al Sabah, the former Defence Minister of Kuwait.
2nd Lieut. Papa, who enlisted as an AFM officer-cadet in 2007, also won three other awards for outstanding cadets: the HRH Prince Saud Abdullah Prize - awarded to the Overseas Cadet who has obtained the best aggregate mark in academic subjects; the Communications and Applied Behavioural Science Prize - awarded to the overseas officer cadet who has produced the best performance in Communication and Applied Behavioural Science; and The Nigeria Prize - awarded to the overseas cadet who has maintained the best Journal of the course.
In the United States, 2nd Lieut. Bernardette Cachia (aged 25, from Mosta) attended the four-month long Military Intelligence Officers Leadership Course at Fort Huachuca, in Sierra Vista, Arizona.
2nd Lieut. Cachia became the first International Officer to have attained the prestigious US Army Achievement Medal. She also became the only student out of 48 other US and international students to attain ‘excellent and exceptional' passes in all the requirements dictated by this intensive course.
Also in the United States, 2nd Lieut. Matthew Sant (aged 26, from Naxxar) attended the Infantry Officer Basic Leader Course at the US Army's Infantry School, Fort Benning, Georgia. He achieved the Platoon International Honour Graduate award, as the best non-US student of his graduating class, and placed in the top 25% of his platoon's American peers.
2nd Lieuts. Pasquale Papa and Bernardette Cachia serve as platoon commanders at 1st Regiment's ‘A' (Airport Security) Company at the Malta international Airport, whilst 2nd Lieut. Matthew Sant serves as a subaltern with 3rd Regiment's Ammunition and Explosives Company at Fort Mosta.