Tarehe Sita: UPDF generals don new pips for the first time in Nakaseke
UPDF generals on Thursday donned the new pips for the first time during the 39th Tarehe Sita celebrations at Butalango grounds in Nakaseke district.
Last year, the army introduced new insignia for general officers as one of the moves to standardize the defence forces and according to the UPDF spokesperson, Brig. Richard Karemire, from today onwards; the generals will put on the new pips.
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“From today as Uganda marks the 39th Tarehe Sita anniversary, UPDF General Officers are donning new military insignia as gazetted. This is in fulfillment of our EAC obligations as armed forces, to keep harmonizing along the way to integration,” Brig. Karemire tweeted.
According to the gazette dated 18th September 2019, pips of the General rank were changed and new ones introduced.
For a full general, pips have four diamond stars arranged linearly, a Court of Arms surrounded by oak leaves, cross general’s sword and baton and the word ‘UGANDA’ inscribed in capital letters whereas for a Lieutenant General, pips have there are three diamond stars arranged linearly as the rest of the insignia remains the same.
For Major Generals, there are two diamond stars whereas for Brigadiers, there is one diamond star and for the Colonels, there is a Court of Arms surrounded by oak leaves, two diamond stars but without a sword and baton.
Speaking about the new changes last year, Brig. Karemire said the army has standardized transport, welfare and training and therefore standardization of the dress code where change of pips falls was one of the elements that had been in the pipeline.
Accordingly, the UPDF also introduced a logo for each of the seven divisions making up the Ugandan army.
The first division headquartered at Kakiri in Wakiso district will have a logo with a gun and boot with a green background on its lower part whereas the second infantry division with headquarters at Makenke barracks in Mbarara will have a gun, hoe, cow and a book, arguably a Bible sitting on an entirely white background as its logo.
The logo for the third infantry division located in Moroto, the logo will have pictures of a book(Bible)gun and mountains to symbolize the Moroto Mountains where it is located and on white background with olive branches on the sides.
The logo for the fourth division headquartered in Gulu will on the other side have the head of a leopard with a green and blue background with olive branches on either side whereas the fifth infantry division housed in Acholi Pi will have a gun, drum, two spears and an ostrich.
Ostriches are commonly found in Northern Uganda.
The Field Artillery division found in Masindi will have a photo of an artillery gun on a wheel with “gunners determine the end state” as the motto on its logo.
The Mountain division located in Kasese, will have a picture of an eagle soaring high above a mountain with a blue and white background denoting the sky.
“We scale the heights”, will be the motto of the mountain division according to the notice in the new gazette for the UPDF.
