The UPDF has revealed that a total of 363 personnel serving under Land Forces headquarters are set to retire from regular service this year.
Accordingly, the personnel have already commenced a documentation exercise ongoing at the service headquarters in Bombo, Luwero District.
One of the officers retiring this year is a Signals, Information and Communications specialist Col.Albert Kulanyi ,72, who has been in active service for 50 years.
Kulanyi said that it is largely discpline, teamwork, patriotism, positive attitude towards work and life that have enabled him to serve this long, but above all he emphasised the Grace of God.
Addressing the impending retirees and dischargees, Commandant General Headquarters, Maj Gen Joram Kakari called upon the officers and militants to recognise the Grace of God.
He said it’s the Grace of God that had enabled them to serve very many situations and challenges while in service up to date when they are now set to retire.
“We have done a lot of work, fought very many battles, won all the wars. I thank you and congratulate you upon all these achievements, but at the end of the day, what has a beginning has an end and our end of service has come,” he told them.
Kakari strongly advised the personnel to maintain discipline, have a positive mindset, adjust to a new life in retirement and above all respect the civil community if they are to fit in well in their communities.
He also encouraged them to embrace government programmes like operation wealth creation where many senior UPDF officers are engaged so they can benefit from knowledge and resources on how to create and multiply wealth.
“A happy retirement is more than just money. You have a wealth of experience please endeavour to share your knowledge to your communities even if its just voluntary, it will keep you busy and active,” he said.
Kakari also advised the impending retirees to eat healthy, keep fit, have a financial plan and live within their means for a meaningful retirement life. “Retirement is the world’s longest coffee break, Enjoy your coffee” he joked.
However, he reminded the officers that they remain part of the UPDF Reserve Forces and that some of them could be called up for duty once again when the Commander in Chief deems it necessary.
“Once a soldier, you die a soldier so its not all over yet,” Kakali said.
The UPDF documentation and sensitisation exercise for retirement and discharge of UPDF personnel commenced on April 25, 2022 and will climax on May 13, 2022.
About 1196 personnel are set to retire under Batch 12.
