HONOURED they felt, 18 of them, neatly dressed in their military attire as they received their new badge of honour after having successfully completed nine months of rigorous training, which awarded them the rank of Ensign.The afternoon was calm. The sounds of musical instruments controlled by a faction of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Band enhanced the soft tone of nature’s sounds around the GDF’s Camp Stephenson base at Timehri, EBD.

Having previously served as Cadets, 18 of the 20 Ensigns were pinned with their new badge by the Chief of Staff, Brigadier Mark Phillips, at a short ceremony held at the military base.
Initially, 45 recruits had enrolled for the course, but only 20 had achieved this new rank, since the other 25 had either withdrawn from the course or had failed to meet the minimum requirements for successful completion. Of the 20 ranks, 18 of whom were present at the ceremony, 15 were GDF recruits, two were Belizean, and one was from St. Kitts and Nevis.
They had all endured intense training for nine months, which, according to Phillips, had instilled in them a higher level of disciple, one aimed at building their confidence, character and intellect.
All these skills, he added, are necessary to successfully execute the roles and responsibilities of military personnel, who have little room for error.
The Chief of Staff urged that, as newest leaders, they must discover how ethics and values will aid in carrying out their purpose in military life. And regardless of how competent one would think one is, he reasoned, successes in one’s missions and tasks are dependent on one’s character.
Underscoring the role of duty, discipline, identity, integrity and loyalty, Brigadier Phillips highlighted the fact that the new Ensigns have now assumed a role which demands more responsibilities, respect for the law and for other people, correct conduct in all settings, and appropriate social behaviour.
He noted that, as leaders, they will need to utilise their skills to foster discipline, since at some point in time they will be responsible for training subordinates using the same techniques and skills which they would have developed during their training.
But this leadership role, Brigadier Phillips revealed, should be one which motivates subordinates to follow their leader into danger and discomfort in order to accomplish a task. As such, he opined, it therefore requires responsible attitudes and motivation on the part of the leaders.

“You will need to create and sustain units with the skill, trust, and confidence needed to be successful,” Phillips told them. He added that leadership translates into providing direction and motivation for those being led; and said that direct leadership is critical in this regard, since it involves leading men and women face to face.
“Direct leaders develop their subordinates one-on-one…. They see how things work, how they do not work, and how to make them work,” he told the 18 Ensigns.
Not limited to leadership, however, the Chief of Staff noted that military work requires the skillful use of technology, and the ability to improvise in the absence of traditional tools.
Weighing in on their role in the army, and how critical it is to the preservation of Guyana’s territorial integrity, the Chief of Staff suggested that the contemporary operating environment of Guyana requires that the Guyana Defence Force must continue to protect the country’s borders. And being a major stakeholder in the security sector of the country, Phillips urged, the ranks should continue to strive towards providing better security for Guyanese.
His erudite statement came after a well-executed March Parade had provided glimpses of uniformity, discipline, technique, and skill, which are but few of the skills featured in the military course.