Zambia Army Commander Confers with US Army Chief of Staff, Gen Randy George 

Commander of the Zambia Army, Lieutenant General Geoffrey Choongo Zyeele, continues to engage strategic partners during the Association of the United States Army annual meeting in Washington, DC. In a key discussion, Lt Gen Zyeele met with General Randy George, the 41st Chief of Staff of the United States Army.

Lt Gen Zyeele emphasized his commitment to enhancing the Zambia Army’s partnership with the US, particularly through military education and training programs. He highlighted the importance of offering training opportunities for Zambian officers and soldiers in the US, noting that the State Partnership Program between the two nations plays a vital role in strengthening these ties.

“With the initiation of our State Partnership program, it is my desire that our long-standing partnership improves and that the US consistently offer training slots for our officers and soldiers,” stated Lt Gen Zyeele. He also emphasized the importance of modernizing the Zambia Army, focusing on developing the leadership skills of Non-Commissioned Officers (NCOs) and junior leaders.

“As we embark on our modernization program, we need a paradigm shift in militarism,” Lt Gen Zyeele continued. “Officers and men must be able to navigate the strategic environment, which is characterized by volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity. To tackle the fog and friction of modern warfare, we need officers and soldiers with a refined military perspective, achievable through thorough training at all levels.”

In response, Gen George expressed his appreciation for Lt Gen Zyeele’s visit to the US and reaffirmed the US Army’s commitment to providing training opportunities to partner nations like Zambia. Gen George noted that he was pleased to offer training slots to Zambia Army officers and soldiers, just as Lt Gen Zyeele had benefited from in the past.

Lt Gen Zyeele himself completed the Infantry Officers Advanced Course at Fort Benning in 1997 and later attended the US Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, in 2014.

During the event, Lt Gen Zyeele also met with Ghana’s Chief of Defence, Lt Gen Thomas Oppong-Pepra, who praised Zambia’s Female Engagement Team (FET) for its role in peacekeeping operations. It was noted that both the Ghanaian and Zambian armies were selected by the US in December 2023 to pilot the first-ever Female Body Armor, specifically designed for female soldiers.

This initiative was announced at the United Nations Ministerial meeting in Accra, Ghana, where Zambia’s Ministry of Defence and senior military leaders were key speakers.