A donation of more than 700 textbooks and reference books delivered to the library of the Botswana Defence Force (BDF) Defence Command and Staff college (DCSC) in Gaborone, Botswana, is helping improve the availability of study and research materials for students there.



The books, a donation from the U.S. Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island, cover a variety of military and geo-political subject matter including operational art and warfare, foreign policy, strategies of containment, the Cold War, diplomatic history and the Vietnam War.



Major General Otisitswe Tiroyamodimo, deputy commander of the BDF, and U.S. Ambassador Stephen J. Nolan were both present as the staff college formally took possession of the books at the end of July 2009. Also present were Brigadier Gotsileene Morake, commandant of the DSCS and Lieutenant Colonel Wyatt, chief of the Office of Security Cooperation at the American Embassy in Gaborone.



In his remarks Tiroyamodimo commented that the officers and men of the BDF have benefited a lot from the U.S. military through training at U.S. schools. Commenting on the book handover, Morake said that he was "very grateful for the assistance the American Embassy in Gaborone and the U.S. military has given the staff college since its inception."



Representatives from the U.S. Naval War College, led by Larry McCabe, visited the DCSC in March 2009 to share their experiences in managing and developing their own program for the U.S. Navy and to learn how the BDF developed the DCSC program in Gaborone. These and similar professional exchanges between U.S. and African militaries have historically proven useful in the improvement of programs for both parties. It was during this visit that the DCSC chief librarian expressed interest in receiving textbook donations.



In just its second academic term, the BDF staff college has made impressive progress with a professional, challenging curriculum for field grade officers to develop and improve critical skills necessary to succeed beyond the tactical level in military operations. In 2007 in an effort to improve officer education, the BDF established the staff college, thirty years after the BDF's establishment. Previously the military was wholly dependent on sending officers abroad to attend staff colleges at various institutions.



Prior to establishing the DSCS, Morake and his team visited and became familiar with staff colleges in Canada, the United states, Great Britain, Ghana and India (among others). After reviewing several programs and applying curricula appropriate to the BDF, the DCSC began its first academic year in 2008, graduating over 30 majors and lieutenant colonels in that first class.