Martin Pinehas

He received from President Pohamba in 2014;The Excellent Order of the Eagle: Third Class, Heroes' Day 2014. On the 31 March 2020 He was promoted to Air Marshal And appointed as Chief of Defence Force becoming the first non Army General to occupy the position.

Martin Kambulu Pinehas is a Namibian military officer who is serving as the Chief of the Defence Force, he previously served as Commander of the Namibian Air Force. He was appointed the Commander of the Air wing of the Namibian Defence Force in 2000. He has over 3700 flight hours of experience, including 700 as an instructor.

Pinehas joined SWAPO's armed wing People's Liberation Army of Namibia in 1980 and was deployed to the Cadet Military Academy in Cuba which he completed in 1981. He was then sent for jet flying training in Libya in 1984. His career in the Namibian Defence Force started in 1993 after Namibia's independence when he was inducted with the rank of Captain. In 1994 he was appointed as the Commanding Officer of the 1st Air Wing squadron with the rank of Major. in 1998 he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and appointed as the Chief of Staff of the Air Wing. In 2000 he was promoted to Colonel and appointed as Air Wing Commander. In 2002 he was appointed as Air Force Commander and rising through the ranks of Brigadier General until Air Vice-marshall which he was bestowed in 2008. He has a Master of Business Administration Degree and a Bachelor of Commerce Degree at Regent Business School, and has undergone several military and aviation training in Namibia and abroad.