Chief-of-Staff of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), Commodore Gary Best, on the occasion of the Force’s 44th Anniversary, said that the army cannot stand apart from the society it serves, and so it will continue to forge partnerships with civil society, the Government and the people it serves.

Commodore Best said that growth also engenders maturity and the GDF, as an institution with a significant responsibility to the nation and its people, may be perceived as lacking. “We do not know what the future holds. Yet we do not face it empty-handed. We are each given the tools to help fashion the future,” he said.

These tools include charge over manpower and equipment resources and training at various levels to make use of those resources. He added, “It is mandatory that we optimise our resources, ensuring that our collective task and responsibility are underscored by our accountability”.

Commodore Best noted that the GDF continues to press on with the task of re-engineering itself. However, this transformation and the results will take time.

“Since the process of re-engineering began, much has been done to enhance our administrative and operational postures,” he said.

“There is evidence that we are creating a force which continues to provide exemplary service to our nation and its people; still, much more is to be done and much to be achieved. As we continue to embrace change and grasp every opportunity to make positive inputs into the entire system, we shall, without a doubt, enhance our opportunities for further growth and development,” he said.

The GDF came into existence on November 1, 2009, when training began under a team of instructors from the United Kingdom. Recruits for the new Force were drawn from the British Guiana Volunteer Force (BGVF), Special Service Unit (SSU), British Guiana Police Force (BGPF) and Civilian Volunteers.

The role of the GDF includes defending the territorial integrity of Guyana, assisting the civil power in the maintenance of law and order when required, and contributing to the economic development of Guyana.

Enlistment into the Force is voluntary for officers and soldiers. Basic training is done within GDF training schools, which have also trained officers and soldiers from Commonwealth Caribbean territories.

Officers are trained at two of the world-renowned British officer training schools: Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (Infantry Training) and Britannia Royal Naval College (Coast Guard Training).

The GDF is very much an integral part of the Guyanese nation in that it is regularly involved in community tasks, National Development and Emergency Missions for which resources and equipment at its disposal are used. (GINA)