Commander Royal Brunei Air Force

Colonel (U) Haji Wardi bin Haji Abd Latip joined Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF) as an apprentice in Boys Company from 1982 to 1983. He was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in December 1984 upon successfully graduating from a prestigious Air Force Academy, the Royal Air Force College, Cranwell, United Kingdom.  He started his flying career as a student pilot at No.3 Squadron Basic Flying Training School (BFTS), in the Training Wing of the Royal Brunei Air Force (RBAirF) from 1984 to 1986. On Successful completion of his flying training he was posted to No.1 squardron (Sqn), Operations Wing (Ops Wg) of RBAirF as a co-pilot on the Bell 212 Helicopter.  He attained his combat Ready (Select) status 6 months after and served as Bell 212 fully operational pilot for about 3 years with No.1 Sqn, Ops Wg RBAirF.  He subsequently underwent fast Jet Flying Training at Royal Air Force Church Fenton, Yorkshire, United Kingdom in 1989 (Refresher Fast Jet Course for 82 flight hours on the jet Provost Mk5).  He then continued the Advanced Flying Training on the Hawk T Mk1 at the Royal Air Force Valley, Holyhead, Wales. He was also selected to pioneer the Maritime Reconnaissance Aircraft Program and was sent to Messey Air University, School of Aviation, at Palmerstone North New Zealand to obtain his Multi-engine Pilot Licence in 1994.

 In early 1997 he was sent to Halim Pardanakoesumo Air Force  Base in Jakarta to do a conversion Flying training at No.2 Sqn on the Indonesian Air Force CN-235 Twin Engine Military Reconnaissance Aircraft. On successful completion of the conversion training in November 1997, he flew the first CN-235 Twin Engine Military Aircraft to Brunei and established No.5 Sqn Ops Wg, RBAirF which was officially formed on 12 December 1997.

In his 29 years of service, Colonel (U) Haji Wardi has held various key command and staff appointments in the RBAF and the Ministry of Defence.  These include Staff Officer Grade 2 Admin, Staff Officer Grade 2 Operations, Squadron Commander of No.5 Squadron, Operation Wing, Staff Officer Grade 2 to the Commander of Royal Brunei Armed Forces, Military Assistance to the Commander of Royal Brunei Armed Forces, Commanding Officer Operation Wing Royal Brunei Air Force.  In 2007, he was appointed as the Defence Attaché at the Embassy of Brunei Darussalam in Beijing, People’s Republic of China.  In 2011, He was then appointed as the Director of Personnel at the Ministry of Defence Brunei Darussalam in 2011.  Colonel (U) Haji Wardi assumed the appointment of Commander of Royal Brunei Air Force on 07 December 2012.

Throughout his service, Colonel (U) Haji Wardi has attended several local and overseas courses. He has also attended various seminars, conferences, workshops and symposiums on area of humanitarian and disaster relief operation, peacekeeping operation and search and rescue operation. They included SAR Executive Planner Workshops organized by the civil Aviation Authority Brunei (CAA Brunei), Flight Safety and Flight Supervisor Course at Royal Air Force Bently Priory United Kingdom, Maritime Surveillance Course at the Australian Defence Force Warfare Center (ADFWC) Wellington Australia, Maritime Surveillance Course at the Singapore Armed Forces Military Training Institute (SAFTI MI) Republic of Singapore, Electronic Warfare Symposium (EW 1996 Malaysia). Multinational Cooperation Assistance Program (MCAP 2005, Japan), Proliferation of Security Initiatives (PSI 2005, Darwin Australia), and ASEAN+3 workshop on the Participation in International Disaster Relief Operation, China ASEAN Dialogue  by Senior Defence Scholars on Regional Security Mechanism and Defence Policy in China between 2007 and 2008.  Recently, he attended the Leadership for the 21st Century: Chaos, Conflict and Courage in Oct 2011 at Harvard Kenny School, United States of America.

Colonel (U) Haji Wardi was awarded with several decorations which include SMB, PJP KDYMM, PJP ABDB, PKLPB, PKmdkn, GSM, PCM (PLA Commemorative Medal). He was also awarded with honorary pilot wings by the Massey Air University (1995) and Indonesian Air Force (1997). Subsequently he was awarded the PCM during his tour as Defence Attaché at the Embassy of Brunei Darussalam in Beijing Republic of China for his contribution towards enhancing the bilateral relationship between Brunei Darussalam and people Republic of China.

Colonel (U) Haji Wardi and his dearly wife is blessed with 5 children (3 sons + 2 daughters)