HM The King, Supreme Chief And General Chief Of Staff Of The Royal Armed Forces Chairs Oath-Taking Ceremony Of New Graduates Of Military Academies

HM King Mohammed VI, supreme chief and general chief of staff of the Royal Armed Forces (FAR), who was accompanied by HRH Prince Moulay Rachid, chaired this Wednesday at the Royal Palace of Casablanca, the oath-taking ceremony of officers, new graduates of various military and para-military academies and institutes as well as newly-promoted officers.

HM the King, supreme chief and general chief of staff of the Royal Armed Forces chairs oath-taking ceremony of new graduates of military academies

HM the King named the new class after “His Royal Highness Princess Lalla Amina”.

On this occasion, the Sovereign delivered the following address:

“Praise be to God

May peace and blessings be upon the Prophet, His Kith and Kin

Honorable Officers,

As the Supreme Commander and Chief of the General Staff of the Royal Armed Forces, it gives me pleasure to preside over this ceremony, during which the officers who have graduated this year from various military and security academies will be taking the oath.

I should like to take this opportunity to commend, once again, our Royal Armed Forces for their great competence and impeccable discipline in discharging their national duty, under my command. I would like to praise their constant mobilization and vigilance in defending the nation’s territorial integrity, its sovereignty, security and stability, as well as their active contribution to humanitarian operations at home and abroad.

I have decided to name this year’s Group of Graduates after Her Royal Highness Princess Lalla Amina - may she rest in peace - given the values of sacrifice and defense of the homeland associated with her good name. Indeed, Her Royal Highness was born at a time when my revered grandfather His Majesty King Mohammed V - blessed be his soul - and the Royal family had to go through the ordeal of exile for the sake of Morocco’s liberation and independence.

I therefore urge you to be worthy of bearing the name of this towering figure and to live up to the values of dedication and sacrifice for the sake of the homeland which are associated with her name, thus illustrating the symbiotic bond between the King and the people, as well as your steadfast commitment to the everlasting motto: God, the Country, the King.”

After the officers took the oath, HM the King, FAR supreme chief and general chief of staff, reviewed the detachments of the new graduate officers.

The class comprises 384 officers from Morocco’s most prestigious military academies:

The Military Royal Academy, 

The Royal Air School, including one female officer,

The Royal naval school,

The Royal school of military health services, including 11 female officers,

The training center of FAR social services (including 15 female officers),

In addition to graduates of these academies, the class comprises 788 reserve officers who graduated from major paramilitary schools and 218 newly-promoted officers of the Royal gendarmerie, the Royal Guard and auxiliary forces

HM the King, Supreme Chief and general chief of staff of the Royal Armed Forces, then, promoted a group of superior officers to the ranks of Colonel-major.

This promotion is part of the regular advancement of various FAR components, held annually during the throne day.

The Sovereign then received General de corps d'armée Abdelaziz Bennani, general inspector of the FAR and commander of the Southern Zone, who presented to the Sovereign a message of best wishes, faithfulness and loyalty addressed to the Sovereign on behalf of the officers, non-commissioned officers and soldiers on the 14th throne day.

HM the King was then greeted by the valedictorians of the various military and paramilitary academies and institutes.

The oath-taking ceremony took place in the presence of the head of government, the speakers of the two parliament’s chambers, the Sovereign advisors, government members, superior officers of the FAR Chief of staff, foreign military attachés accredited in Rabat and several other military and civil figures.

31 July 2013