–President Ali announces

MARKING a new era for Guyana’s military structure, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, President Irfaan Ali has announced that the title of the head of the army will be changed to Chief of Defence starting next year.

The Head of State was at the time addressing the opening of the Guyana Defence Force’s (GDF) Annual Officers’ Conference at Camp Base Ayanganna on Thursday.

“This will be the last Officers conference (that) the term Chief-of-Staff will be used,” President Ali stated, highlighting a strategic shift intended to align with regional and international military structures.
“So, this year’s conference will see the final use of the designation Chief-of-Staff,” he added, underscoring the historical significance of the change.

The title of Chief-of-Staff has been used for decades to denote the head of the army.
Brigadier Omar Khan was appointed as the GDF Chief-of-Staff by President Ali last year, a role he combines with leading the National Intelligence and Security Agency (N.I.S.A).

Established in 1965, the GDF plays a pivotal role in the nation, not just in defence but also in supporting Guyanese communities through various means such as medical emergency flights and infrastructural projects like road and airstrip construction by its Engineering Corps.

The Force prides itself on voluntary enlistment, rigorous training programmes within its schools, and prestigious international training for its officers at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and Britannia Royal Naval College.

This move to retitle the army head as Chief of Defence is part of the government’s vision for institutional restructuring within the GDF.
It reflects the People’s Progressive Party (PPP)-led government’s modernisation effort to enhance the force’s alignment with global military standards and practices.