Several military officers, who were promoted, received new epaulettes on July 1, 2014, in Yaounde.

Hundreds of meritorious servicemen and women in the Centre Region have been awarded new ranks while others moved grades. They all converged on the esplanade of the Military Headquarters in Yaounde yesterday July 1, 2014 to receive recognition and decorations from the Minister Delegate at the Presidency in Charge of Defence, Edgard Alain Mebe Ngo’o.

The medal award ceremony marked a turning point in the lives of military men who moved ranks and grades as commissioned, non-commissioned as well as rank and file soldiers and gendarmes.

Edgard Alain Mebe Ngo’o began by recognising some top brass of the military for their outstanding bravery in policies of national security with the National Order of Valour. He was followed suit by the Secretary of State in the Ministry of Defence in charge of the National Gendarmerie, Jean Baptiste Bokam, and the Secretary of State in the Ministry of Defence in charge of Ex-servicemen and War Victims, Koumpa Issa, who honoured other officers for their exceptionally meritorious services rendered to the army with the National Order of Merit.

Army Chiefs of Staff went forward to decorate another group of recipients with the Medal of Law Enforcement for their commendable services. The relay baton was then handed over to the Minister of Youth Affairs and Civic Education, the Secretary General of the Ministry of Defence and the Representative of the Senior Divisional Officer for Mfoundi to decorate some of the military officers with the Medal of Sports Merit for their contribution of physical education and sports.

The decoration ritual ended with the attribution of Work Medal by the Ministers in charge of Labour and Social Security, Water and Energy Resources, Public Health as well as Small and Medium-sized Enterprises, Social Economy and Handicrafts.

Musical interludes punctuated the award of epaulettes. Commissioned and Non-commissioned officers promoted as per the June 10, 2014 Presidential text were first to be decorated followed by rank and file soldiers and gendarmes promoted by the Presidential text of July 11, 2014. The Minister of Defence and his guests of honour, recipients, parents and well-wishers were then treated to a march past before saluting the commander of the troops.