Air Commodore Paavo Elwin-Paul Kamanya is a Namibian military officer who is serving as Defence Attache to

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...

. He previously served as deputy Namibian Air Force commander.

Military career

Kamanya is a veteran of the national liberation movement under

SWAPO The South West Africa People's Organisation (, SWAPO; af, Suidwes-Afrikaanse Volks Organisasie, SWAVO; german: Südwestafrikanische Volksorganisation, SWAVO), officially known as the SWAPO Party of Namibia, is a political party and former ind ...

. He joined the Namibian Defence Force (NDF) and is a pioneer of the NDF Air Wing. During Namibia's deployment to the Democratic Republic of the Congo he also participated in the

Second Congo War The Second Congo War,, group=lower-alpha also known as the Great War of Africa or the Great African War and sometimes referred to as the African World War, began in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in August 1998, little more than a year a ...

, flying resupply missions, including resupply to besieged Namibian and Zimbabwean troops at Ikela. During one of the flights a technician was mortally wounded. Instead of turning back he proceeded with the flight to Ikela. For his actions president Sam Nujoma awarded him the Most Distinguished Order of Namibia. He was appointed as the VR1 Squadron commanding officer, later he served as commanding officer stationed at Grootfontein Air Force Base. In the 2010s he was promoted to colonel and made deputy Air Force commander. In January 2016 he was posted to India as Defence Attache and was replaced by Air Commodore Teofilus Shaende as deputy Air Force Commander. Later he was transferred to Sri Lanka as Defence Attache.

Honours and decorations

* Most Distinguished Order of Namibia * NDF Campaign Medal

DRC Campaign Medal * NDF Campaign Medal

DRC Campaign Medal * NDF commendation ribbon

NDF Commendation Medal * Army Twenty Years Service Medal Ribbon

Twenty Years Service MedalFile:2016 International Fleet Review PRESS CONFERENCE OF CNO'S (33).jpg

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kamanya, Paavo Living people Namibian Air Force air marshals 1960 births