(PULL QUOTE) ‘You take all that there is with you and fight with what you have as more often paratroopers are the men to win the battle with the enemy hardware.’ – Colonel Enoch Gaskin
THE Guyana Defence Force (GDF) again created history as they yesterday morning concluded an accident free paratrooper’s course which saw 10 ranks graduating in the Basic Paratroopers Course 2013-01. The closing ceremony which was held at the GDF Air Corps and was attended by Deputy Chief of Staff, Colonel Julian B. Lovell, Inspector General, Colonel Mark Phillips, Commanding Officer Training Corps, Colonel Kemraj Persaud, Commanding Officer Second infantry Battalion, Colonel Enoch Gaskin, Brazilian Armed Forces instructors, other senior officers and ranks attending and family members of the ranks and members of the media.
Commanding Officer 31 Special Forces Squadron, Major Sheldon Howell, who welcomed all, gave a brief overview of the course with a background of Para trooping with an overview to the GDF.
He indicated that the GDF began Para trooping training in 1969 and over the proud 47 years of its existence several officers and ranks were trained.
Making mention of Captain Harry Hinds and retired Colonel Hartley Liverpool among some of the distinguished GDF Paratroopers.
In 1985 the batch of five free fallers were trained in Brazil and returned to participate in a military tattoo in Guyana as other officers and ranks received training in Brazil, Cuba, USA and the United Kingdom.
He proudly announced that the GDF has done military displays in Trinidad & Tobago, Barbados and Jamaica noting that Guyana is the only country in the English-speaking Caribbean with the capability to conduct airborne operations.
He identified among those senior officers present, Inspector General Colonel Mark Phillips, a former Jump Master of the force and Colonel Enoch Gaskin the current free fall jump master of the GDF.
“You here in attendance will witness 35 ranks of the 31 Special Forces Squadron displaying two types of Para trooping jumps” Major Howell said.
Twenty-five in three groups will conduct the first type in static line jumping as the others will demonstrate their free fall skills as members of the GDF Harpe Eagles Free Fall Club, Howell explained.
Static line jumping low attitude, low opening parachutes which is used for force entry into battle and is attached to the polsular of the aircraft as the free fall parachutes are high altitude, high or low open chutes which will open after several feet of skydiving and is used for precision jumping.
The jumps were coordinated by the GDF Free fall Master Major Lloyd Souvenir as the proceedings took the families of the course rank through a breath taking display.
This display demonstrated the skills and technique taught to the ten ranks of the course among the others conducting demonstrating jumps in the similar category.
The static line jumps were conducted at an altitude of 1000 feet while the free fall jumps were at an altitude of 6,000 feet.
Those present got a first-hand display in precision landing when Corporal Meckelia Armstrong landed in front of the parents who were standing at the GDF Air Corps hanger as he received cheer from the onlookers.
Lieutenant Avenash Deonarine who outlined the course objectives mentioned the history created in that it was the first time that the GDF had conducted a Paratroopers course and has received 100% participation and 100 % pass rate.
He noted that the students were selected after a medical examination and rigid physical training which followed the technique of jumping, assembling the parachute in regular and emergency positions from their static lines.
The course which commenced in May of this year and concluded yesterday was seen as a successful basic paratrooper’s course.
The feature address was given by former commanding officer of the 31 Special Forces Squadron now Commanding Officer of the 2nd infantry Battalion Colonel, Enoch Gaskin who firstly congratulated the course ranks for a successful course and more so an incident free one which is history in the GDF.
He said that whilst viewing the display he went back to memory to recollect if any of the jump displays were as yesterday’s demonstration.
He indicated to the ranks that they have been given the opportunity to become paratroopers of the GDF, with the best of training employed by experienced and qualified local and foreign instructors and it is now expected of them to build on it.
He outlined who is a paratrooper as he said that this is a special individual in the military service who has volunteer his service to be the front of the land.
Why do we need paratroopers he rhetorically asked, these are persons who take us in a timely manner where it is not necessary for the use of other conventional means.
That he lamented is a special person since we do not have what the remainder of the military will have. “You take all that there is with you and fight with what you have as more often paratroopers are the men to win the battle with the enemy hardware,” he exhorted.
In charging the new paratroopers he told them: ‘We are waiting to see results, let the wing that you wear fly swiftly above all others so you will be the shining example to your peers and others to follow. Go and make your mark, you have graduated.”
Historically also it was the first time that the badging of paratroopers were done by the parents of the ranks.
The parents present were given a demonstration of how it is being done by Major Howell as the newly troopers fell in line to received their wings.
The parents then placed the wing on the chest of the ranks and placed a firm fist blow to ensure it was installed firm upon the new paratrooper as the course concluded.
THE Guyana Defence Force (GDF) again created history as they yesterday morning concluded an accident free paratrooper’s course which saw 10 ranks graduating in the Basic Paratroopers Course 2013-01. The closing ceremony which was held at the GDF Air Corps and was attended by Deputy Chief of Staff, Colonel Julian B. Lovell, Inspector General, Colonel Mark Phillips, Commanding Officer Training Corps, Colonel Kemraj Persaud, Commanding Officer Second infantry Battalion, Colonel Enoch Gaskin, Brazilian Armed Forces instructors, other senior officers and ranks attending and family members of the ranks and members of the media.
Commanding Officer 31 Special Forces Squadron, Major Sheldon Howell, who welcomed all, gave a brief overview of the course with a background of Para trooping with an overview to the GDF.
He indicated that the GDF began Para trooping training in 1969 and over the proud 47 years of its existence several officers and ranks were trained.
Making mention of Captain Harry Hinds and retired Colonel Hartley Liverpool among some of the distinguished GDF Paratroopers.
In 1985 the batch of five free fallers were trained in Brazil and returned to participate in a military tattoo in Guyana as other officers and ranks received training in Brazil, Cuba, USA and the United Kingdom.
He proudly announced that the GDF has done military displays in Trinidad & Tobago, Barbados and Jamaica noting that Guyana is the only country in the English-speaking Caribbean with the capability to conduct airborne operations.
He identified among those senior officers present, Inspector General Colonel Mark Phillips, a former Jump Master of the force and Colonel Enoch Gaskin the current free fall jump master of the GDF.
“You here in attendance will witness 35 ranks of the 31 Special Forces Squadron displaying two types of Para trooping jumps” Major Howell said.
Twenty-five in three groups will conduct the first type in static line jumping as the others will demonstrate their free fall skills as members of the GDF Harpe Eagles Free Fall Club, Howell explained.
Static line jumping low attitude, low opening parachutes which is used for force entry into battle and is attached to the polsular of the aircraft as the free fall parachutes are high altitude, high or low open chutes which will open after several feet of skydiving and is used for precision jumping.
The jumps were coordinated by the GDF Free fall Master Major Lloyd Souvenir as the proceedings took the families of the course rank through a breath taking display.
This display demonstrated the skills and technique taught to the ten ranks of the course among the others conducting demonstrating jumps in the similar category.
The static line jumps were conducted at an altitude of 1000 feet while the free fall jumps were at an altitude of 6,000 feet.
Those present got a first-hand display in precision landing when Corporal Meckelia Armstrong landed in front of the parents who were standing at the GDF Air Corps hanger as he received cheer from the onlookers.
Lieutenant Avenash Deonarine who outlined the course objectives mentioned the history created in that it was the first time that the GDF had conducted a Paratroopers course and has received 100% participation and 100 % pass rate.
He noted that the students were selected after a medical examination and rigid physical training which followed the technique of jumping, assembling the parachute in regular and emergency positions from their static lines.
The course which commenced in May of this year and concluded yesterday was seen as a successful basic paratrooper’s course.
The feature address was given by former commanding officer of the 31 Special Forces Squadron now Commanding Officer of the 2nd infantry Battalion Colonel, Enoch Gaskin who firstly congratulated the course ranks for a successful course and more so an incident free one which is history in the GDF.
He said that whilst viewing the display he went back to memory to recollect if any of the jump displays were as yesterday’s demonstration.
He indicated to the ranks that they have been given the opportunity to become paratroopers of the GDF, with the best of training employed by experienced and qualified local and foreign instructors and it is now expected of them to build on it.
He outlined who is a paratrooper as he said that this is a special individual in the military service who has volunteer his service to be the front of the land.
Why do we need paratroopers he rhetorically asked, these are persons who take us in a timely manner where it is not necessary for the use of other conventional means.
That he lamented is a special person since we do not have what the remainder of the military will have. “You take all that there is with you and fight with what you have as more often paratroopers are the men to win the battle with the enemy hardware,” he exhorted.
In charging the new paratroopers he told them: ‘We are waiting to see results, let the wing that you wear fly swiftly above all others so you will be the shining example to your peers and others to follow. Go and make your mark, you have graduated.”
Historically also it was the first time that the badging of paratroopers were done by the parents of the ranks.
The parents present were given a demonstration of how it is being done by Major Howell as the newly troopers fell in line to received their wings.
The parents then placed the wing on the chest of the ranks and placed a firm fist blow to ensure it was installed firm upon the new paratrooper as the course concluded.
