COL SAIT NJIE was born on 21 February 1975 at Jambaya Village, Sabach Sanjal North Bank Region. He was enlisted into the Gambia Armed Forces in May 1996 as an Infantry Officer.
EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND
Col Njie attended Kataba Primary School from where he proceeded to Armitage High School in September 1989 to June 1994 and acquired the General Certificate Ordinary Level (GCE O’Level). His strong desire to learn languages motivated him to pursue French language courses at Alliance Francaise-Gambienne where he acquired a Diploma in French language (DELF B1). In December 2014, the Senior Officer attended an International Defence Resource Management Course at the Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, California, USA. Col Sait Njie also pursued a political science degree course at the University of the Gambia (UTG) and has since been awarded a Bachelor degree in Political Science in 2017. The senior officer has recently finished an MA Degree course on International Security and Strategy with King’s College London.
PROFESSIONAL MILITARY COURSES
Col Sait Njie did all his courses commensurate with his rank. Most prominently, in 1999, Col Njie attended the Military Accademy Training School in Ghana where he did his Young Officer Course (YOC). In 2007 the Senior Officer was sent to the United Kingdom to attend a Military Observer Course. Then in 2008, he did a Combined Arms Tactics Course at Warminster, United Kingdom. The following year in January 2009, Col Njie was sent to pursue his Junior Staff Course at the Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji, Nigeria. Then in 2012, the Officer was sent to attend a Command and Staff Training course at the Horton Academy in Sierra Leone before proceeding to Ghana where he did his Senior Staff Course at the Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Teshi, Accra from September 2012 to August 2013. To culminate his military career courses, Col Njie attended the UK Royal College of Defence Studies (RCDS) Course 2018 and is the first Gambian to study in RCDS.
POSTINGS AND APPOINTMENTS
Col Sait Njie has served in various Units and HQs in the Gambia Armed Forces where he also held various command and staff appointments including twice as School Commandant, Gambia Armed Forces Training School. The Senior Officer served in almost all the Infantry Battalions under GAF and held command appointments including Adjutant, company and Battalion commander. In his staff appointments, Col Njie served at HQ Gambia National Army as Brigade Major and eventually at the Defence Head Quarters (DHQ) as Staff Officer Class 2 (SO2), Staff Officer Class 1 (SO1). The Officer is currently appointed the Director Training and Doctrine, DHQ.
PEACE SUPPORT OPERATIONS
Col Sait Njie served in various peace support operations. From 2003 to 2004 the senior officer served as platoon commander as part of Gamcoy 1- United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL). Then from 2005 to 2006, Col Njie was nominated as Military Observer and served with the United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eriteria (UNMEE)
In June 2007, Col Njie was deployed as part of Gamcoy 5 to the African Union Mission in Sudan for six months as Platoon Commander. Lastly, the senior officer served with the United Nations Operation in Cote d’Ivoire as Military Observer from January 2010 to January 2011.
HOBBIES
Watching Sports, surfing the Internet and Reading.
MARITAL STATUS
The Senior Officer is married and blessed with children.
TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR THE DIRECTOR TRAINING AND DOCTRINE
The duties and responsibilities of the Director Training and Doctrine include:
- Analyzing the training needs of GAF.
- Drafting training plans for GAF including the CDS Annual Training Directive.
- Designing, setting up and supervising all GAF training activities.
- Carrying out the necessary administrative tasks associated with training and education for GAF.
- Coordinating military courses, seminars, workshops, etc, oversea for officers and other ranks of the GAF.
- Tutoring junior and senior officers preparing for oversea courses, promotions or other important assignments.
- Develop and maintain Doctrine and other relevant training materials for the purpose of improving the combat effectiveness and professional bearings of members of GAF.
