Peter Vilho

Rear Admiral Peter Hafeni Vilho is a Namibian military officer who served as the Commander of the Namibian Navy. He was appointed the Commander of the maritime wing of the Namibian Defence Force in 2002.As of September 2017 he is the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Defence.

Career
Rear Admiral Vilho's career in the Namibian Defence Force started in 1990 after Namibia's independence when he was inducted with the rank of Captain and appointed as paymaster for the 125 Battalion. In 1993 he was promoted to the rank of Major and appointed as the Chief paymaster for the Army Headquarters. Later in the year he was appointed Staff Officer grade2 (SO2) Operations and Training Army Headquarters with the same rank. Between the following year and 1998 he attended the Admiral Wandenkolk Instruction Centre' (CIAW) in Rio de Janeiro. Upon graduating he was appointed as the Chief of Staff NDF Maritime Wing in 1998. In 2001 he was appointed as the Deputy Commander NDF Maritime Wing with rank of Commander and in the following year following the death of Captain (Navy) Phestus Sakaria the Commander NDF Maritime Wing Vilho was appointed as his successor with the rank of Naval Captain. The rank of Commodore was bestowed on him in 2004 at the commissioning of the Maritime Wing as a fully fledged Navy.In 2007 he ascended to the rank of Rear Admiral.

Qualifications

 * 1990- 1992 Finance Officer Advanced Course and Resource Management Course at Ford Benning, USA
 * 1994 - Junior Staff and Command Course, Namibia
 * 1995 - 1998 Naval Officers Formation Course, Brazil
 * 2005 - Advanced Course on Politics and Strategy at the National War College, Brazil
 * 2007 - Master of Business Administration from Maastricht School of Management Netherlands

PLAN career
In 1983 Vilho was an Engineering Instructor at the Tobias Hainyeko Training Centre, Lubango, Angola. In 1984 he was appointed as an Engineer Company Commander and Anti-tank Battery Commander at the Northern Front and Striking Unit.

Military Decorations
On Heroes' Day 2014 he was conferred the Excellent Order of the Eagle, third Class.


 * Order of the Eagle 3rd Class – Government of the Republic of Namibia
 * Commendation Medal 1st Class – Namibian Defence Force
 * Ten Year Service Medal – Namibian Defence Force
 * Southern Cross Medal – Namibian Navy
 * Navy Pioneers Medal – Namibian Navy
 * Navy Cross Medal – Namibian Navy
 * Gold Star Medal – Namibian Navy
 * Sacharia Medal – Namibian Navy
 * Achievement Medal – Namibian Navy
 * Ten Year Service – Namibian Navy
 * 750 Days at Sea Service Medal – Namibian Navy
 * Order of Naval Merit (Grand Officer) Medal – Brazilian Navy
 * Medal of Merit “Tamandare” – Brazilian Navy