A GRADUATION ceremony was hosted last weekend at the end of a month-long training exercise that involved Guyanese and American Special Forces at two Guyana Defence Force (GDF) bases.

The ceremony was the finale to the Joint Combined Exchange Training (JCET) for the GDF’s 3-1 Special Forces Squadron and members of the United States Special Forces, according to a GDF press release.

The training, conducted at Camp Stephenson, Timehri, was executed in three phases, the first of which was a venture spearheaded by the U.S. representatives that dictated sessions in short and long range marksmanship, swimming, and classroom training.
The classroom aspect entailed training in tactical combat casualty care, radio operability, patrolling techniques, and leadership skills.

Some thirty-four Guyanese soldiers advanced successfully through phase one of the exercise, which concluded with a Combat Water Survival Test.

Phase two, which was built on skills mastered in phase one, was executed at a faster pace; while phase three, according to the press statement, ended with an advanced exercise routine that featured individual and team events that tested skills learnt by the local contingent.

Among the features exhibited at the event were marksmanship, radio procedures, combat lifesaving medical skills, and swimming. A physical training venture was also executed to test the participants’ skills in the areas of swimming, physical fitness, and obstacle course training.

During this initiative, the US Special Forces participated in a special training course at the Colonel Robert Mitchell Jungle and Amphibious Training School (CRMJATS) at Makouria. Under the supervision of GDF ranks, they were taught a wide range of survival skills among other related training practices.

GDF Chief of Staff, Brigadier Mark Phillips, presided over the graduation ceremony.

Lieutenant Commander Bob Novotny, the United States Senior Defense official in Guyana, in addressing the gathering, noted that the exercise was an outstanding initiative that benefited both parties. He added that each team was able to share ‘top-notch training’ in their fields of expertise, thus strengthening their bonds and creating better unions.

He added that the Embassy’s Security Cooperation Office looks forward to bringing more JCETs to Guyana for similar initiatives in the future.

(Alex Wayne)