First female captain for Namibian navy
A woman who began her military career in 1996 when she joined the Namibian Defence Force (NDF) and received 14 military medals for her service, three decades later became the first female officer in the history of the Namibian Navy to hold the rank of captain.The head of the NDF, Air Marshal Martin Kambulu Pinehas, promoted Commander Rachel Tuyoleni to the rank of captain (navy).
Tuyoleni was transferred to the Defence Headquarters where she joined on 1 April.
Her basic military training began in 1996 at the NDF training base in Osona where she was deployed in the engineer regiment. Tuyoleni was later transferred to the maritime wing in Walvis Bay, which would later become the Namibian Navy.
Part of her military career included attending various military and academic training programmes in Namibia, South Africa, the United Kingdom and Russia.
Over time, Tuyoleni was promoted to various ranks and was, among others, the executive officer of the Namibian ship Olifant, adjutant commandant of the navy's training school, as well as the commander of the naval base.
Her exceptional leadership and dedication earned her several medals in recognition of her service during her career of more than 30 years.– [email protected]