𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗿 𝗞𝗼𝗼𝗻 𝗛𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘀 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗔𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗱 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗚𝗿𝗮𝗱𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀

House Speaker Richard Nagbe Koon has lauded the dedication, discipline, and leadership potential of forty Non-Commissioned Officers (NCOs) who graduated today from the 2nd Basic Leader Course (BLC) of the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL). Delivering the keynote address at the Armed Forces Training Command in Careysburg, Tuesday, August 12, 2025, Speaker Koon congratulated the graduates for successfully completing the rigorous nine-week program, describing it as an essential investment in the future leadership of the AFL. “The strength of an army is not measured solely by the size of its weapons, but by the quality of its leaders,” Speaker Koon stated. “As Sergeants and Staff Sergeants, you are the backbone of the army the bridge between the vision of the officers and the execution of the soldiers.” He reminded the new leaders that trust, competence, integrity, and care for their subordinates are the true foundations of effective military command. He also urged them to exercise moral courage and humility in the line of duty, noting that leadership demands the ability to make difficult decisions and to listen to those they lead. The Speaker underscored that the BLC forms part of the AFL’s modernization drive, aimed at creating a professional and mission-ready force capable of serving Liberia both domestically and in international peacekeeping operations. In closing, Speaker Koon challenged the graduates to uphold the core values of loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity, and personal courage. “Lead with vision. Train with purpose. Serve with honor. Your service is to the Armed Forces and to every Liberian who looks to you as a guardian of peace and security,” he concluded.