Air Vice Marshal UK ABDULLAHI DSS GSM RBS psc fwc BSc MBA FCM

AIR OFFICER COMMANDING GROUND TRAINING COMMAND

BACKGROUND

 

  1. Air Vice Marshal (AVM) Usman Kandi Abdullahi was born on 10 March 1972 in Niger State. He hails from Lapai Local Government Area of Niger State. The senior officer had his primary school education at Lapai from 1977 to 1983 and his secondary school education at Government Secondary School, Suleja from 1983 to 1988. Thereafter he was admitted into the Prestigious Nigerian Defence Academy in September 1989, as a member of 41 Regular Course. He was commissioned as a Pilot Officer in September 1994, having bagged a Bachelor of Sciences Degree Honours in Biological Sciences. He progressed steadily through the ranks and was promoted to the enviable rank of Air Vice Marshal of the NAF in November 2021.

 

COURSES ATTENDED

  1. Air Vice Marshal Abdullahi attended both Military and Professional Courses at home and abroad. Some of the courses include Air Traffic Control Officers Course at Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT) Zaria as a member of AC35, where he obtained Diploma in Air Traffic Control. He later proceeded to Portharcourt International Airport Omagwa for On-the-Job Training (OJT) where he obtained Civil Air Traffic Control license in Aerodrome and Approach and later obtained Military ATC license.  
  2. AVM Abdullahi was at 301 Flying Training School (FTS), Kaduna for Ab-initio Flying Training and later to 305 FTS, Enugu for Basic Helicopter Flying Training. He then proceeded to Bass Air Aviation Pretoria, South Africa for Advanced Helicopter Flying Training where he obtained PPL and CPL flying licenses. He also attended Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji-Nigeria for his Junior and Senior Staff Courses.  Others  courses attended by the Air Officer Commanding include: Flight Safety Officers Course at United States Air Safety School, Kirtland Air Force Base, Albuqaque, New Mexico; Search and Rescue Course at United States Coast Guard, Aukland, San Francisco; Super Puma Conversion Course at CAE Aviation Stavanger, Norway; Mi – 17 Conversion Course at HTP Aviation Prague, Czech Republic and Pilots Training School (PTS) Skopia, Macedonia; National Defence University Islamabad,  Pakistan; and International Programme for Flight Safety at Beijing China. The Air Officer Commanding also has PGD in Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution at National Open University of Nigeria as well as Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Benue State University.

 

APPOINTMENTS HELD

  1. In the course of his military career, Air Vice Marshal Abdullahi has served the nation in several capacities, among which include Air Traffic Control Officer 303 FTS, Military Airport Commandant Portharcourt International Airport, Commanding Officer (CO) BSW 97 Special Operations Group (SOG), CO OSW 97 SOG, CO 207 Wing and Group Operations Officer 115 SOG at various times. CO Mi – 24/35P Helicopter Detachment, Operations AFISMA - Mali in 2013; Operations Officer for both OP Zaman Lafiya and Lafiya Dole, Comd Helicopter Detachment OP Lafiya Dole and Comd 115 SOG, Portharcourt; Deputy Director Peace Keeping Ops, Headquarters Nigerian Air Force; Command Ops Offr, HQ Tactical Air Command; Director of Safety, HQ NAF and Commander National Air Defence Corps, Lagos. The Air Officer Commanding also served as Chief of Staff, HQ Special Operations Command (SOC); and Director of Training, HQ NAF. He is currently the Air Officer Commanding Ground Training Command, from Jul 2023 till date.

 

OPERATIONS PARTICIPATED

  1. The senior officer has participated in both internal security operations as well as international operations such as; OP Pulo Shield, OP Safe Heaven, OP Restore Order, OP Zaman Lafiya, OP Lafiya Dole, OP Awatse, OP Sharan Daji, OP AFISMA - Mali and OP Boyona amongst others.

 

AC TYPE – FLOWN   

  1. The Air Officer Commanding has flown the following aircraft ABT-18, TB-9, TB 20, Robinson 22, Robinson 44, Alluete II, Mi-24, Mi- 34, Mi 35P and Super Puma-helicopters.

 

AWARDS AND DECORATIONS

  1. The senior officer has several awards, certificates, and decorations. Some of these include: Distinguished Service Star (DSS), General Service Medal (GSM), River Benue Star (RBS), Pass Staff Course (psc), Fellow War College, Field Command Medal (FCM), Bachelor of Science (BSc) and Fellow Institute of Safety Professionals of Nigeria (FISPN).

 

MARITAL STATUS AND HOBBIES

  1. Air Vice Marshal Usman Kandi Abdullahi is happily married with children. His hobbies include: Current Affairs and Gardening.