... If, in defending Free Ethiopia and her freeborn children from the detestable yoke of slavery, you learn to combine the spirit of heroism which you have inherited from your forefathers with the technical skill which you will acquire at this Academy, the faith and trust which We and Our people have reposed in you will be fully justified, and you will, moreover, be able to be of help to our brethren both far and near .... Many years have elapsed since We first planned the establishment of this Military Academy which We inaugurate today. The Military College which We instituted at Guennet in 1934 was intended to serve as the bridge towards the attainment of the goal which We now see realized. Through the invasion of Our country interrupted this and the many other projects which we had in those early days laid out for the development and progress of Ethiopia, We can today offer unbounded thanks to Almighty God that We have been permitted to witness the fulfillment of many of Our original projects.
We have long recognised that raising the general level of education in Ethiopia required the opening of many institutions of higher learning, and that We could not attain our objectives unless this was accomplished and large numbers of Our people received extensive education. In this same spirit, We have established this Military Academy in order that Our Armed Forces might acquire the advanced training in military science which is essential under the conditions created by modern civilization. The responsibility which devolves upon this institution is great indeed, for it is this Academy's task to impart to officer cadets the new skills and techniques by which, in modern warfare, the overwhelming numbers and military might of an enemy may be overcome.
Our forefathers, benefiting from the wisdom which Almighty God revealed to them in their time, fought with valour and heroism to preserve the freedom of Our country. To complement the valour and heroism which Our Armed Forces have inherited from them -- qualities which no amount of military training can provide -- there must now be provided mastery of the complex techniques of modern warfare. Strength may be useless where skill is required. A mature mind and a wealth of experience are needed to decide upon the time and place where strength and skill may be most effectively combined in battle. A military officer confronted with the task of carrying out an operation entrusted to him by his superiors, feeling the weight of the responsibility of devising the proper means of fulfilling his duty, will be able to call for assistance upon the training he has received in this institution, which, like torch shedding light both forward and behind, will guide him in his work.
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