Air Vice Marshall Sampson Akpasa, the Air Officer Commanding (AOC), Nigerian Air Force Ground Training Command (GTC), Enugu, has urged officers and men of the force to be combat ready at all times.

Akpasa gave the advice after the 1st Quarter Route March of all Nigerian Air Force (NAF) personnel in Enugu.

The AOC, who led the route march that covered 10 kilometres, said that fitness of officers and men of NAF was a pre-requisite for successful operations within and outside the country.

He noted that the route march would also enhance the health and agility of officers and men as well as make them flexible to adapt to emergencies.

According to him, a soldier that is not fit cannot perform satisfactorily well especially during emergencies.

“The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, has made it mandatory that each of the officers and men of NAF must participate in this exercise.

“The essence is to keep NAF officers and men ready for operational combat at any moment,” he said.

The AOC also urged officers and men to be ready for deployment on internal security duties in order to quell insurgency and other forms of criminality.

“It is only a fit soldier that can out run a criminal as well as make tactic manoeuvres necessary to nip crime in the bud,” he said.

The exercise covered Enugu-Onitsha and Enugu-Abakaliki roads within Enugu metropolis within two hours.