Personality Of The Week: Air Vice Marshal Napoleon Binkap Bali (Rtd)

Air Vice Marshal (AVM) Napoleon Binkap Bali (Rtd) was born on the 28th
November, 1963 in Langtang, Langtang North Local Government area of Plateau State. He attended Boys Secondary School, Gindiri from 1977 to 1982 and gained admission into the Nigerian Defence Academy in 1983 as a member of 33 Regular Course.

He was commissioned as a Pilot Officer
in 1986. AVM Bali had his Basic Flying Course in 303 Flying Training School (FTS), Kano from 1990 to 1992 and was thereafter trained as an Instructor Pilot (IP) on jet aircraft between 1998 and 1999 in the same Institution. On completion of his IP Course in 1999, Napoleon attended Joint Air Course (JAWC), Hyderabad, India where he graduated with an “Excellent Grade”. The Air Officer also attended his Senior Staff Course at the Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College (GAFCSC) from 2001 to 2002 and graduated with C+ grade. He was a participant of Course 19 at the National Defence College (NDC), Abuja from 2010 to 2011 where he also graduated with the prestigious C+ grade. He has a Master Degree (MSc) in Security and Strategic Studies from the University of Ibadan in 2013.

AVM Bali is an IP on the L39ZA aircraft and holds on the Bulldog, Alpha Jet, Falcon 900, Gulfstream GV and G550 as well as the Falcon 7X aircraft which he Captained. The Air officer has flown over 3,000 hours inclusive of instructional hours. As an experienced IP, he was fundamental in grooming young pilots in 011 Presidential Air Fleet (011 PAF) during his tour of duty in the Unit. Additionally, as an instructor on the L39ZA in 303 Flying Training School (FTS), he trained members of Basic Flying Courses 12A, 12B and 13, presently, most of the AVM Bali’s former students are fighter-pilots in Operational Units and also Captains on various aircraft types in the NAF.

Napoleon has held various appointments in his career in the NAF. Some of these appointments include; Emergency Procedure Officer and Commanding Officer of Ground Academics Wing in 303 FTS, Kano between 2000 and 2003. He was Staff Officer 1 Operations and Coordination in the Directorate of Operations, HQ NAF from 2003 to 2005. Similarly, he was Planning Officer Air Operations Cell, United Nations Mission in DR Congo (MOUNC) from 2005
to 2006. Napoleon was also Wing Chief Operations and Fleet Operations Officer 011 PAF from February 2013 to May 2015. During this period, his tireless contributions to the Fleet earned him the Air Officer of the Year Award in Year 2013. AVM Bali was appointed the Commander 011PAF from May to August 2015. Thereafter, he served as the Command Operations Officer (COO) Headquarters Tactical Air Command (HQ TAC) Makurdi from August 2015 to February 2016. His great skills in coordinating the operational activities of TAC, particular in the support of the mission in the North East earned him a “Letter of Commendation” from the Air Officer Commanding (AOC), TAC.

AVM Bali (Rtd) served as Senior Air Staff Officer (SASO) of Mobility Command (MC) located in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State from March 2016 to December 2016. He was thereafter, posted to Defence Headquarters (DHQ) as Director of Production and later Director of Operations from January 2017 to June 2017. He also served as Director of Training and Director of Operations respectively from June 2017 to July 2018 at Headquarters Nigerian Air Force (HQ NAF), Abuja. He was posted to Headquarters Mobility Command (HQ MC) as the Air Officer Commanding (AOC) in July 2018 and completed his tour of duty as AOC MC in January 2019. Before his appointment as the Chief of Policy and Plans (COPP) HQ NAF, AVM Bali was the AOC Special Operation Command from January to July 2019. The senior officer served as the COPP HQ NAF from July 2019 to November 2019 when he retired from the NAF after 35 years of meritorious service to the Country.

Napoleon Bali has attended several Flight Safety Courses which include: Advanced Aircraft Accident and Prevention Investigation and Safety Management System (SMS) at the Southern California Safety Institute Prague, Czech Republic. AVM NB Bali also has a Certificate on Satellite Weather Forecasting with special interest on weather patterns in Africa, at Flight Safety International New Castle, United States of America. The Retired Air Vice Marshal is a graduate of Programme on Terrorism and Security Studies (PTSS) at George Marshall European Center in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. AVM Bali is an accredited PTSS Global Resource Person on Security, Counter-Insurgency and Counter-Terrorism, among others.

The Retired Senior Officer is married to Mrs Julcit Bali and they are blessed with 2 Children, namely; Nanyak and Remikat. His hobbies include reading, listening to music and playing Squash. AVM Bali’s honours and decorations include FSS, MSS, DSS, Psc (GAFCSC), fdc (NDC) and MONUC (UN). He also won the “Best-AII-Round” Awards during his Ab-initio and Basic Flying Training at 301 and 303 FTS respectively. In the course of his career the Senior Officer contributed immensely in the management of Flight Operations and attainment of NAF’s objectives which has projected the Service positively. Having successfully completed PTSS, Bali is positioned to add value to global efforts to mitigate the activities of non-state actors and sponsors, especially in Nigeria.