— Chief-of-Staff tells newest Second Lieutenant
Chief-of-Staff, Brigadier Godfrey Bess has welcomed home Second Lieutenant, Raheem Duke, who has returned from Jamaica following his successful completion of the Initial Officer Training Programme at the Caribbean Military Academy.
During his interactions with the young officer, according to the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), Brigadier Bess congratulated him for his conduct on the course where he was awarded the International Achievement Award for his exemplary performance.
“You are the only soldier in recent times, to have been afforded such a rare opportunity which you maximised fully, and I am indeed proud of your success. The Guyana Defence Force and all of Guyana are extremely proud of you,” he said.
Brigadier Bess also said that he is hopeful that this recognition and achievement by Second Lieutenant Duke impact ranks in bolstering their military professionalism and overall development.
The Chief-of-Staff also reminded the young officer that the soldiers, particularly his colleagues, will be looking to him for leadership.
Second Lieutenant Duke, formally a Lance Corporal, enlisted in the Guyana Defence Force in 2015. Prior to selection for the overseas training, he worked as a medic at the Medical Corps. This resident of Amelia’s Ward, Linden, is a father of one and gained his formal education at the Amelia’s Ward Primary and the New Silver City Secondary Schools.
Second Lieutenant Duke expressed gratitude for the opportunity afforded to him and thanked the COS and his administration.
“Being an officer was not my first choice. However, I longed to be in a position where I can inspire and develop young personalities and the military provides this scope. In this regard, I worked assiduously in this quest and my arduous work paid off,” Duke said.
Respect for others and integrity were Second Lieutenant Duke’s greatest takeaways from his Cadet training.
He explained that respect and integrity are both integral and critical in the character of an individual, specifically, an officer as it enables superiors and subordinates to have no reservation in the leader’s ability to lead and influence.
Noteworthy, Second Lieutenant Duke highlighted his strong motivations which inspired his performance.
“Soldiers are hardly ever given this opportunity and being aware of this, I knew giving my best and setting the precedence was the task so that others could also benefit from opportunities such as this. Importantly too, I was not only doing this for myself. I left when my son was only three months old and so I also did this for him as I want to always be able to adequately provide for my family,” Duke explained.
According to the GDF, Second Lieutenant Raheem Duke believes that ‘leadership is not being in charge; it requires taking care of those in your charge’. He intends to serve diligently.
