Egypt’s military leaders embrace the country’s legacy of military strength
EGYPTIAN ARMED FORCES
Throughout ancient history, Egyptian warriors excelled as archers. Therefore, their country is known as the “Land of the Quiver.” In this land, brave warriors still embody this everlasting honor and heroism … aspiring to glory in a fierce defense of their homeland.
The Egyptian Ministry of Defense holds a solemn responsibility for leading the world’s oldest army, established in Egypt around 3200 B.C. Two of Egypt’s key military leaders — Gen. Mohammed Zaki and Lt. Gen. Mohammed Farid — play pivotal and heroic roles in defending their country, particularly in the fight against terrorism.
Gen. Mohammed Zaki is Egypt’s minister of defense and military production. Born in 1956, he graduated from the military academy in 1977 and was assigned to the infantry. He rose through the ranks until he was promoted to the rank of general in July 2018.
He has a bachelor’s degree in military science and holds all infantry and airborne specialized course certificates. He also completed several courses, such as the command and staff college course, and a fellowship from Nasser Higher Military Academy, the High War College Course, and Senior Commander Higher Course.
Prior to his current position, Gen. Mohammed held several prestigious commands, most notably commander of the airborne forces and commander of the Egyptian Republican Guard. He received several medals and honors for his military duty and excellent service.
Lt. Gen. Mohammed Farid is chief of staff for the Egyptian Armed Forces. The general staff includes the land forces, the air forces and the Navy, and is supported by the following departments: operations, planning, military education, security and intelligence, and logistics services.
Lt. Gen. Farid was born in 1954. He holds a bachelor’s of military science from the Military Academy and a master’s of military science. He was appointed chief of staff for the Egyptian Armed Forces in October 2017.
Lt. Gen. Farid served as chief of staff of the Northern Military Zone. He also served as the commander of the Second Field Army and later became secretary-general of the Defense Ministry during a crucial period for the country — the June 30 revolution. He also served as assistant defense minister and secretary of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces.
During his military career, Lt. Gen. Farid received several medals and awards, including the Medal of Military Duty, Medal of Long Service and Role Model, and Medal of Excellent Service.
According to the Global Firepower Index for 2018, the Egyptian Armed Forces ranked 12th on a list of the world’s most powerful militaries from among 136 countries.
The minister of defense is keen to further develop Egypt’s military capabilities and its combat readiness through joint exercises and partnerships with friendly forces. A recent example of this was the Arab Shield 1 exercise, held within the framework of the joint training plan implemented by the Egyptian Armed Forces with other countries to develop military relations, counter common challenges and support security and stability efforts in the region.
Gen. Mohammed Zaki asserted that the Egyptian Armed Forces are acting with the utmost vigilance and readiness to impose state sovereignty and secure the country’s borders.
“The Egyptian Army is working to confront all those who seek to undermine Egypt’s security and stability,” Gen. Mohammed said during a 2018 meeting with commanders, officers and troops of the Air Defense Forces.
He praised the historic and national role of the air defense in securing and protecting the skies of Egypt and maintaining control over its airspace. He praised the outstanding performance of Egypt’s heroes of air defense, who ranked second in the world in the Clear Sky competition as part of the International Army Games 2018.
The minister of defense pays tribute to the martyrs of the Armed Forces and the police who have sacrificed their lives for their homeland during the ongoing confrontations with the forces of extremism and terrorism.
He expressed his “pride in the series of successes during the battle of honor — Operation Sinai 2018 — fought by heroes of the Armed Forces and police to eliminate terrorism.”
Gen. Mohammed regularly talks with his troops to hear their views and field their questions. He praises their situational awareness of critical internal and external events and their promotion of security and stability in the region. That includes the military’s role in sponsoring economic development to help average Egyptians prosper.
“The Armed Forces cooperate with all state institutions to support comprehensive development efforts and contribute to the implementation of mega development projects on every inch of the land of Egypt,” he said.
Comments are closed.