A contingent of 15 officers from the United States Air War College, yesterday, visited the Ministry of Defence where they held discussions with the Minister, Gen. James Kabarebe, and other top military brass. They are in the country on a study tour to assess the progress the country has made and the role of the Rwandan military in peace building. Speaking after the meeting with Kabarebe and the Chief of Defence Staff, Lt. Gen Charles Kayonga, Col. Brian Spelling, said the group specializes in East African studies. "The objective of our visit was to find ways of maintaining the already established relations we have with this country. In academics we read a lot of things, but when you come and talk to people you get to understand things a lot better,” Spelling said. He noted that the visit was particularly special when the group came face to face with the Rwanda Defence Forces (RDF) and witnessed the professionalism and commitment with which the force operates. The US Air War College member pointed out that Rwanda presented a unique case study for the group considering where it had come from, observing that the progress reflects the commitment of the country’s leadership in all domains, including the security forces. "The first place we visited was the Genocide memorial and it is extremely valuable to see how Rwanda is facing its past head on.  We realised what happened and how the country is determined to  step forward without forgetting what happened so that it doesn’t happen again,” he said. The delegation will visit various military facilities.