TWENTY-SIX students from the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) have commenced training on the Leader Sergeants Course (LSC), the third of its kind to be run by the Forces’ Sergeant Academy.The course was officially declared open on Wednesday by Chief of Staff, Brigadier General Mark Phillips at Base Camp Stephenson, Timehri, a press statement said.

The course was designed and implemented to develop leaders at the middle management level to serve across the Force. It also aims to provide opportunities for young men and women to hone their academic skills into leadership at the level of Sergeant.

In remarks to the aspiring Sergeants, Brigadier General Phillips observed that the LSC has done well so far and as such he called on them to commit themselves towards working hard, so that come November, the Force will benefit from 26 new Sergeants.

“We are training you for authority, not only the authority that comes with wearing a chevron but also the responsibility that comes with being in-charge,” he urged.” We are training you to be leaders, you are the ones who are expected to, at the end of the training, support a platoon commander and lead teams to accomplish the mission beyond the expectation of your officers,” he added.

Meanwhile, he noted that in order for the objectives of the course to be met, more time will have to be allocated for study of the course material, but cautioned against the overburden of physical training.

OPPORTUNITY TO READ
“Create study areas. If we are training them to lead, they must have opportunity to read. We have fit soldiers but we need Senior Non-Commissioned Officers to be good, educated leaders. So let us create the conditions for them to learn. We need a competent, fit Sergeant who can conduct himself/herself in keeping with the standards of the Guyana Defence Force,” he noted. The Chief of Staff made it clear however that, his recommendation is no attempt to ‘soften’ the course.

“Continue to work hard and the future is yours,” he told the aspirants. The nine-month training programme will cover a number of areas, including Leadership Studies, Military Law, Internal Security and Open and Close Country Warfare.

The LSC was open to eligible members of the Force, as well as civilians who meet the admission criteria. Six civilians are currently being trained to be Sergeants.

The Leader Sergeants Course equips its students with the knowledge to effectively perform the duties of a Sergeant in the GDF and administer and lead soldiers in the absence of the Officer.

Meanwhile, 18 officers drawn from Units across the Force have commenced training on the Senior Command and Staff Course (SCSC) Number 14, which will prepare them for Senior Leadership.

The course, which commenced on June 27, will at the end make the Officers competent to function in Senior Command and Staff appointments within the Force.

The 12-week course will touch on a number of areas, including Minor Staff Duties, Communication Skills, Open and Close Country Warfare, Administration and Logistics, Military Law and History and Environmental Studies.

The Senior Command and Staff Course is conducted by the Force to meet the training and professional military educational requirements of Officers. The Force utilises the learning experiences garnered from its Directing Staff and Senior Officers who attended Staff Colleges in Canada, China, India, Brazil and the USA.

The Chief of Staff Brigadier Phillips officially declared the course opened at the Jaguar Lecture Hall, Base Camp Stephenson, on Wednesday.
He told the Officers that the course was designed to prepare them for command and staff work and prepare them generally for senior military leadership in an increasingly complex defense and security environment. He urged them to pay attention to the curriculum and immerse themselves in the course reading material.

“Be an active participant in group assignments and approach all assignments with a positive attitude since the training modules will be delivered in an objective manner,” he urged.

MORE DYNAMIC MISSIONS
Brigadier Phillips noted that governments today require their militaries to help them manage natural disasters and to deal with complex emergencies. As such, he said, the missions of Military Forces are therefore now more dynamic than ever.

He stated that the Command responsibilities of the Force flows from the Defence Act and therefore the education of the Force’s Officers must result in a higher level of understanding of the concepts of operation and the strategic issues of importance to Guyana’s defence and security at the national, regional and hemispheric levels.

In that light, he stated that the course is designed to improve the knowledge base of Officers and to help them become better leaders of character and competence. “We expect you to maximise the use of this opportunity,” he told the Officers, the press statement concluded.