Another Officer of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) has returned from the United States after successfully completing advanced military staff training.

According to a release from the GDF, Commander Vernon Burnett of the Guyana Defence Force, Coast Guard returned with a Master of Science Degree and a Diploma from the Naval War College, Rhode Island, USA.

Commander Vernon Burnett, on May 15 last graduated from the Salve Regina University with a Master of Science Degree in Administration, Justice and Homeland Security. On June 15, he graduated from the Naval Staff College, Rhode Island, with a Diploma in Navy and Joint Professional Education in National Security, Strategy, Policy and Joint Military Operations.

The GDF said the two courses were done concurrently, with the latter focusing on Theatre Security Decision Making, Strategy, Warfighting and Joint Military Operations. It also included several large-scale planning exercises which provided participants with the opportunity to draft national security strategies.

Commander Burnett studied alongside a diverse group of US and international senior officers, and was recognised as a highly professional officer with the requisite skills and attributes for higher levels of command. He was publicly commended for his two academic papers titled, “Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief,” and “Existing Security Challenges between the United States and the Caribbean.”

The GDF said Commander Burnett is extremely grateful for the opportunity to enhance his professional military education. “It is my intention to use this new knowledge to make a positive impact towards the further development of the GDF Coast Guard,” he said.

“We were not only able to draw from the course material presented, but from the experiences of the officers who attended from the various militaries, with similar security challenges, strengths and other factors,” he added.

Apart from this recent achievement, previously Commander Vernon Burnett successfully completed several overseas courses , including the Infantry Officers’ Basic Course (Fort Benning, Georgia ,1998), The International Maritime Officers’ Course (York Town, Virginia), the Ordinance Officers’ Basic Course (Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, 2005) and the Caribbean Junior Command and Staff Course( Jamaica).

The Chief of Staff, Officers and Ranks of the Guyana Defence Force congratulated Commander Burnett on his recent accomplishment.