THE Command and Staff functions across the Guyana Defence Force are expected to be enhanced, with the completion of the training of Senior and Junior Officers, on the Force’s Senior and Junior Command and Staff courses. The courses were officially concluded on Friday last, at the Jaguar Lecture Hall at Base Camp Stephenson, according to release from the GDF.
One Major and 19 Captains completed the Senior Command and Staff Course Number 11 (SCSC# 11), with Captain Sheldon Howell of the 31 Special Forces Unit emerging the Best Graduating Student.
Captain Joslyn Assanah of Air Corps took runner-up honours and Major Hollice Cumberbatch gained the award for producing the Course’s Best Service Paper.
Meanwhile, nine Lieutenants completed the Junior Command and Staff Course Number 23 (JCSC# 23), with Lieutenant Budeshwar Persaud of the First Infantry Battalion copping the award as Best Graduating Student, and Lieutenant Damon Joseph of Air corps earned the Runner-up honours and the award for writing the course’s Best Service Essay.
Recounting the challenging nature of their course, Lieutenants Persaud and Joseph cited
the volume of reading required as the most challenging feature, particularly in the context of the time-frame required to complete that, assignments and other activities.
They noted that the learning environment necessitated reliance on peers which was good for sustaining morale, and both acknowledged that the training has enhanced their capacity to be better officers and strengthen their contributions to the Force.
Congratulating the graduates at a closing ceremony yesterday, Chief-of-Staff Commodore, Gary Best encouraged them to remember that training is an ongoing process and to “…transition from students to effective leaders…”
“You must be leaders in and out of the work environment,” he said. “Be confident in yourselves and lead with passion,” he charged.
The SCSC, the higher level course, was designed to produce officers who can function in command and staff appointments, perform as Grade 2 Staff Officers at Brigade or Unit Headquarters level, or perform as Commanders of a battalion or equivalent unit in the conduct of full spectrum operations in the contemporary operating environment in the GDF.
The functions of these officers who operate at a level between the Force’s high command and the junior officers, Senior Non-Commissioned Officers and soldiers, are therefore critical to the implementation and support of policies meant to drive objective- realisation in every sphere of the Force.
On the other hand, the JCSC is designed to train officers to function as Junior Commanders and Junior Staff Officers, perform as Unit Commanders of a Company or Perform as Grade 3 Staff Officers at battalion level or equivalent sub-unit, the release stated.