President Ali appoints new GDF officers with State Commissions, Warrants

The Guyana Defence Force (GDF) presented twenty-one new officers and two warrant officers with state commissions and warrants on Thursday afternoon at the State House in Georgetown.

The instruments of appointment were handed to the officers by the Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces of Guyana, President, Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali.

While state commissions are appointments granted to individuals who will serve in the National Guard, state warrants are issued to warrant officers to grant them authority and recognition within the military structure of the GDF.

The appointment ceremony saw each officer taking an oath to be courageous, defend Guyana, discharge their duties without fear, favour, affection, or ill will, and faithfully uphold the constitution of Guyana.

President Ali congratulated the ranks on becoming officers and stressed the importance of their new positions in the function of the country.

“Joining this rank is not merely about taking the oath and having the instrument presented to you. This instrument is a formal document of the recognition bestowed on an individual marking his or her ascension to the rank of a commissioned officer,” he said.

The documents also allow individuals to wield command, make critical decisions, and lead within the military hierarchy.

These, the president said, are very important attributes that are now assigned to the ranks in the execution of their now weighty responsibilities, and in keeping with the high standard expected of officers in the GDF.

He stressed the importance, too, of the officers’ responsibility to support the Chief-of-Staff and other superiors within GDF. He, however, emphasised the importance of physical fitness as a necessity for the effective delivery of their duties.

“Combat readiness demands aptitude and expertise in a wide range of skill sets including leadership and decision-making, technological proficiency, cybersecurity, critical thinking and problem-solving, diplomacy and peace studies. The military leaders are now expected to know military logistics and administration without neglecting the regular and routine elements of training such as physical fitness, marksmanship, and tactical proficiency,” President Ali expressed.

He encouraged officers to look to their seniors as examples to emulate and learn from while serving in the GDF.

“Many of your seniors who are sitting in front of you are some of the best that we have. Not only in Guyana but in this region. Their competency, expertise, experience, training and skill level, as well as their education, set them apart from their colleagues all over this region. And I am proud of your superiors. I believe that you have great examples before you… I am confident and assured in the present leadership of the Guyana Defence Force,” Dr Ali said.

Ranks will be expected to serve one year’s rotation within the state, to become competent in Spanish during that year.

They are also expected to spend a minimum of six weeks at the Foreign Service Institute to gather a full understanding of all aspects concerning Guyana’s foreign policy, diplomacy, and their link and relation to defence.

“In the next year, the training and education you will receive will help you in understanding and identifying who an enemy is…you will have a full understanding of what preserving…and upholding the constitution of Guyana requires of you,” the president said.

Ranks will also spend a minimum of six weeks familiarising themselves with an orientation course and the fundamentals of strategic studies at the University of Guyana.

Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hugh Todd, National Security Advisor, Gerry Gouveia, and Chief of Staff of the Guyana Defence Force, Brigadier Omar Khan, were also present at the ceremony.