…President tells cadets GDF will play bigger role in protecting Guyana’s patrimony

AT the Commissioning Parade of the Standard Officers’ Course (SOC) Number 51, on Wednesday, President David Granger, attending virtually, welcomed the newest batch of officers to the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), hailing them as the newest “guardians of Guyana’s patrimony”.

The service was held at the Colonel Ulric Pilgrim Officer Cadet School (CUPOCS) Lecture Hall at Base Camp Stephenson, Timehri, and it is traditionally hosted to ‘bless’ the new badges of rank which are to be worn by the graduates of the course. Relatives of the graduates participated in the service via an online platform, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Present too was Chief of Staff of the GDF, Brigadier Patrick West, Senior Officers and ensigns.

SOC 51 commenced in June 2018 with 54 students, 25 of whom withstood rigorous training and will officially become Officers following the completion of all commissioning activities which will end on Friday. Two of the potential Officers are from the Antigua and Barbuda Defence Force, one from the Belize Coast Guard and one from the Jamaica Defence Force.

President Granger congratulated the graduates on their completion of the SOC stating: “You are the scions of a legendary lineage of servicemen who have protected our territory for generations and, today, you have become the heirs and successors of that heritage, proud guardians of Guyana’s patrimony.”

The Head of State reminisced on his time as a cadet standing on a parade ground in Aldershot, Hampshire, 54 years ago, in June 1966. He said that he considers his commissioning ceremony to becoming a military officer as one of the dearest and proudest moments of his life.

“I received my State Commission from the hands of our first President, Arthur Chung, when Guyana became a Republic,” the President said. “I shared the same aspirations and ambitions then as most of you do today. I looked forward to a career of service to my country and to my fellow Guyanese. I understand the pride and satisfaction that you must be feeling today – your last day of cadetship and your first day of officership in your country’s Defence Force.”

He said that as Guyana moves forward into greater economic development, the GDF will be playing a greater role in protecting the country’s patrimony, Independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity.

He noted that the graduating cadets will be among the leaders helping to influence defence policy and to build a more professional Force and, at the same time, should expect to continue their studies at higher military schools and at the University of Guyana in other complementary fields such as science and technology.

The President said that, over the years, the Force’s reserve – the Guyana People’s Militia – has been expanded and equipped to become a citizens’ army to be of greater service to the people.

These improvements, he noted, have come to the Force’s technical corps, the Air Corps, the Signal Corps, the Intelligence Corps, the Engineer Corps and the Force’s training regime. Regarding the latter, he said that training remains indispensable for the development of professionalism and proficiency and will be intensified at all levels during the next ten years.

“Your personal education and expertise are essential to improving your leadership and stewardship,” the President told the cadets, further assuring: “All of you will be provided with opportunities to upgrade your qualifications and skills. Emphasis will be placed on improving expertise in the technical corps – Air Corps, Coast Guard, Engineer Corps, Intelligence Corps and the Signal Corps – deployment of para troops and the employment of artillery.”

He stated that the Defence Force is charged with preserving, protecting and safeguarding Guyana’s patrimony, political independence, territorial integrity and sovereignty and must be equipped to do so.

As they fulfill their duty, he noted that officers continue to benefit from education and training scholarships in the People’s Republic of China and in the Federative Republic of Brazil.

“This cooperation is providing training opportunities for all ranks, improving the Force’s capacity – human and material – to deter aggression, defend national sovereignty and build a safer, stronger and more secure state,” he said. Meanwhile, the SOC has been improved to include an enhanced academic programme and intensified jungle, paratrooper and equitation training.

Addressing, directly, the graduating cadets, he emphasised that the Force is not a stage for showmen or a theatre for lone rangers but is built on groups and is guided by solidarity among all servicemen and women through its values and standards.

As such, he admonished: “This is an exciting time to be a military officer in our country. Your graduation today is not only a personal achievement but an institutional celebration of the maturity of our Defence Force and the recognition of Guyana’s integration with the Caribbean, the continent and the hemisphere. You are heirs of the Force’s illustrious legacy of service. I charge you to ensure continued adherence to your professional values and standards in the enhancement of the Force’s capabilities and in your service to our citizens, to our country and to the Caribbean.”