Major General Desmond Simba CHAWANDA was enlisted into the Malawi Defence Force (MDF) as an Officer Cadet on 1 January 1991 and commissioned as a Second Lieutenant on 31 July 1992. He began his military career at the Parachute Battalion, where he served in various command and staff roles, including Platoon Commander, Company Second-in-Command, Company Commander, Intelligence Officer, Quartermaster, and Adjutant. In 2002, he joined the First Battalion of the Malawi Rifles as a Company Commander.

In 2006, Major General CHAWANDA was appointed Assistant Aide-de-Camp (ADC) to the late President Professor Bingu wa MUTHARIKA, before becoming the full ADC in 2008, a position he held until 2012. Subsequently, he also served as Staff Officer Grade I in the Directorate of Military Operations and Training at MDF Headquarters before assuming command of the Parachute Battalion as Commanding Officer. In 2014, he became Deputy Chief of Staff at Defence Headquarters and later served as Chief of Staff for 93 Brigade and Senior Staff Officer in the Directorate of Human Resources Management and Development.

Between 2016 and 2019, Major General CHAWANDA worked with the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Secretariat in Gaborone, BOTSWANA, as Senior Officer for Operations and Training. He was also seconded to the African Union as SADC Representative. Upon returning home, he was appointed as the first Brigade Commander of the newly established 101 Brigade in 2019. His subsequent appointments included Deputy Land Forces Commander (2020), Chief of Defence Logistics (2022), and Commandant of the Malawi Defence Force Staff College. Most recently, from December 2023 to December 2024, he served as Force Chief of Staff in the Southern African Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (SAMIDRC).

Major General CHAWANDA is a family man and is married to Chifundo and together they have two daughters Immaculate and Akuzike. Professionally, Brigadier General CHAWANDA is a graduate of the Tanzania National Defence College and the Zambia Defence Services Command and Staff College. A qualified parachutist with 127 jumps and a Special Forces Operator, he has completed all professional military education required for his rank.

Operationally, he has participated in several missions, including Operation KWAENI in Mozambique as a Platoon Commander, the African Union Mission in the DRC in 1997, and the United Nations missions in Burundi (2005) and the DRC under MONUSCO, where he served as a Military Observer (MILOB) and Force Intervention Brigade (FIB) Chief G5.

Academically, Major General CHAWANDA holds a Diploma in Security Studies from the University of Zambia, Masters Degree in Defence and Security Studies and Masters Degree in International Relations from the University of East London. His distinguished career reflects dedication, professionalism, and a deep commitment to regional and international peace and security. He is therefore, an accomplished General Officer.

Lieutenant General Kondwani Gift Kalino is a distinguished military officer with a career spanning over three decades in the Malawi Defence Force (MDF). Lieut Gen Kalino was born on 15 April  1964, in Linga Village, Traditonal Authority Mwase in Kasungu District. He was enlisted in the Defence Force on 28 April 1988 and commissioned as a Second Lieutenant on 09 June 1989.

Over the years Lieut Gen Kalino has held various command and staff appointments as; Platoon Commander, College Signals Officer, Officer Commanding for the first intake of female soldiers, Staff Officer Grade II (SOII) responsible for Administration in the Directorate of Military Operations, SOII responsible for Organization and Development at the MDF Headquarters, Commanding Officer 1 Malawi Rifles, Contingent Commander Malawi Battalion (MALBATT) under the United Nations Operations in Cote d’Ivoire (UNOCI), Malawi Defence Advisor to the United Republic of Tanzania accredited to Republic of Rwanda and Burundi, Chief of Logistic MDF Headquarters and Brigade Commander 22 Signals Brigade before his current appointment as Deputy Chief of Defence Force (D/CDF). As the D/CDF, Lieut Gen Kalino serves as the principal advisor to the Chief of Defence Force (CDF) and through him provides strategic counsel to the President and Minister of Defence.

Operationally, Lieut Gen Kalino has served within and outside Malawi under various capacities such as; Contingent Commander for Malawi troops under United Nations Operations in Cote d’Ivoire, Military Observer United Nations Mission in the Congo (MONUC), Staff Officer MONUC, Operation Kwaeni and Konzani in Mozambique. He is a recipient of the following medals; Command Medal, Meritorius Service Medal, Efficiency Medal, Republic Medal, UNOCI Medal, Independence Anniversary Medal, MONUC Medal and Nacala Medal.

A graduate of Salima Boys Secondary School, he furthered his education with a Diploma in Communications from Fort Gordon, USA, in 1998 and has since completed numerous professional military courses across the globe, including in the United States, Norway, Kenya, United Kingdom and Tanzania. In addition to attending all the courses commensurate with his rank, Lieut Gen Kalion successfully attended the following courses; Principles of Defence Procurement and Contracting – California, Principles of Defence Acquisition and Negotiations – California, Principles of Defence Acquisition and Management – California, 13th Regional Senior Mission Leaders Course – Nairobi, International Commanding Officers Course – Oslo, African Next Generation Military Leaders and Senior Command and Staff Course – Arusha.

Lieut Gen Kalino is fluent in English and Chichewa, and conversant in Swahili, Lingala, and Portuguese. He is well known for his leadership in command, communication, logistics, as well as his diplomatic acumen. He is married to Christina and together they have two children a son, Dalitso, and a daughter Nercya. Lieut Gen Kalino is a devout Christian affiliated with the African Methodist Episcopal Church. During his leisure time, he enjoys playing golf and traveling.

1. Lieutenant Colonel Hastings Klins Subili, psc is the current Deputy Chief of Staff at the Malawi Defence Force Joint Headquarters. He joined the Malawi Defence Force as an officer cadet in June 2008 and underwent infantry military training at the Malawi Armed Forces College (MAFCO) for a period of 18 months. He got commisioned in December 2009 as second Lieutenant and was immediately posted to 3^rd Battalion of Malawi Rifles under 101 Infantry Brigade. He served as a Platoon Commander till year 2012 before being appointed as an Adjutant from 2013 to 2018. He was posted and transfered to MAFCO (Salima District) in year 2018 where he worked as 2IC Cadets Wing, OC Cadets Wing, OC Staff Wing and 2IC Peace Support Operation Training Centre till 2023. In 2024, he was posted to the Organisation and Developemnt Department within Joint Force Headquartes where he served as SOII and SOI before his appointment as Deputy Chief of Staff on 16 October 2025.

2. Lt Col Subili professionally holds a Masters Degree in Leadership and Defence Studies from the Nigeria Defence Academy. He has done a number of predeployment trainings with the Americans and British, African Contigency Operations Training and Assistance in all the periods he was deploying for UN Missions. He did platoon and company commanders courses in years 2016 and 2018 respectively at the Malawi Armed Forces College the before doing Junior Command and Staff Course in year 2020 at the Carribean Institute of Professional Military Education in Jamaica. Academically he has a Bachelor's Science Degree and a post graduate certificate in Security Studies both from Mzuzu University.

3. Lt Col Subili has been decorated with various United Nations (UN) medals over the period of nearly 17 years. The first medal was for Platoon Commander of The United Nations Operations in Cote d’Ivoire (ONUCI) between June 2012 to June 2013. A second and third medal were for Platoon Commander and Officer Commanding for The United Nations Force Intervention Brigade (FIB) in DRC, between the years of 2014 to 2015 and 2016 to 2017 respectively. The fourth medal is the United Nations Military Observers medal that was obtained in 2019 after serving one year as a Military Obsever under the United Nations Missions for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO).

4. Lt Col Subili is happily married to Memory Chaweza and the union is blessed with 2 children, Hailey and Hastings (Jnr). He is avid about exercises (eg jogging), watching soccer and travelling. He also enjoys playing chess even though the interest has been fading gradually since primary and university days due to family and work commitments.