IN keeping with the integration of regional militaries, a contingent from the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) comprising five Officers, one Warrant Officer and five Senior Non Commissioned Officers, participated in Phase Two of Exercise Tradewinds 2014, which was recently held in The Dominican Republic.

The GDF, in a statement, said that the exercise was conducted from 2014-06-15 to 2014-06-26. The GDF contingent was headed by Captain Cleon Coppin.

The participating ranks were exposed to both theoretical and practical training in the areas of Human Rights, Duties of OIC/RSO on a Conventional Range, Planning and Conducting a Conventional Range Practice, Coaching the Grouping Practice, Employing Ammunition Safety, Collection and Preservation of Evidence and Conduct of Vehicle and Personnel Searches, the statement added.

GDF stated that the training also covered the areas of Establishing Vehicle Checkpoints, Basic Photography of a Crime Scene, Tactical Site Exploitation/Site Assessment, Urban Operations (Patrolling and Close Quarter Combat) and Civil Military Affairs. All training was conducted by officers and ranks from the US Marines, US Army and Canadian Armed Forces.

Members of the GDF contingent benefited greatly through the exchange of knowledge with their regional counterparts as well as with members of the US Marines, US Army and Canadian Armed Forces.