TWENTY – SIX COMMENCE TRAINING ON LEADER SERGEANTS COURSE

Thursday July 7, 2016

Twenty – Six students have commenced training on the Leader Sergeants Course (LSC), the third of its kind to be run by the Forces’ Sergeant Academy.

The course was officially declared open yesterday by Chief of Staff, Brigadier General, Mark Phillips at Base Camp Stephenson, Timehri.

The course which was designed and implemented to develop leaders at the middle management level to serve across the Force, and provide opportunities for young men and women with academic skills and to hone those skills into leadership at the level of Sergeant.

In remarks to the Aspiring Sergeants, Brigadier General Mark Phillips observed that the LSC has so far been doing well and as such he called on them to commit themselves towards working hard, so that come November, the Force will benefit from 26 new Sergeants.

“We are training you for authority, not only the authority that comes with wearing a chevron but also the responsibility that comes with being in charge,” he urged.” We are training you to be leaders, you are the ones who are expected to, at the end of the training, to support a platoon commander and lead teams to accomplish the mission beyond the expectation of your officers,” he added.

Meanwhile, he noted that in order for the objectives of the course to be met, more time will have to be allocated for study of the course material, but cautioned against the overburden of physical training.

“Create study areas. If we are training them to lead, they must have opportunity to read. We have fit soldiers but we need Senior Non – Commissioned Officers to be good, educated leaders. So let us create the conditions for them to learn. We need a competent, fit Sergeant who can conduct himself/herself in keeping with the standards of the Guyana Defence Force,” he noted. The Chief of Staff made it clear however that, his recommendation is no attempt to ‘soften’ the course.

“Continue to work hard and the future is yours,” he told the aspirants. The nine-month training programme will cover a number of areas including Leadership Studies, Military Law, Internal Security and Open and Close Country Warfare.

 

The LSC was open to eligible members of the Force as well as civilians who meet the admission criteria. Six civilians are currently being trained to be Sergeants.

The Leader Sergeants Course equips its students with the knowledge to effectively perform the duties of a Sergeant in the GDF and administer and lead soldiers in the absence of the Officer.