Come next month the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) will be launching its education programme targeting soldiers to ensure that ranks do not become “indigent” after leaving the army due to lack of preparation while in the service, according to Commodore Gary Best.
Chief of Staff Best, who was at the time addressing yesterday’s opening session of the officers’ conference being held under the theme ‘Re-engineering to enhance national defence and security’, said that the programme would be a distance education model at five levels similar to the work done in the secondary schools.
“In other words the soldier gets a second opportunity to complete a secondary education [which will pave the way] for the attendance at technical institutes, University of Guyana and other tertiary institutions.”
“No longer will the army be seen as an officers’ army where education is concerned. In years to come an educated soldier would serve in the force and depart from the force which also addresses the sore point of our soldiers becoming indigent due to a lack of preparation while in service,” Commodore Best told a packed Camp Ayanganna Officers Mess.
He disclosed that the programme will be interconnected to promotional standards and examinations which “are now re-introduced into the force for officers and other ranks.”
Speaking directly to the Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces, President Bharrat Jagdeo, Commodore Best said the force recognises that it has a responsibility to the society and to that end they have been doing work with youths in high risk areas and a programme has been submitted to the Defence Board.
Meanwhile, the Commodore told his officers it would take a few more years for the force to complete the re-engineering but it has started “and the results are obvious.” He said there are four critical outputs for them to complete the process: completion of the organisational analysis, the strategic defence review, the strategic defence plan and the completion of the multi-year developmental plan for the force.
According to Commodore Best the organisational analysis has been completed and a menu of recommendations now flow from it and they are in the process of setting the stage for the completion of the other programmes.
He said that the force overspent in 2008 by $10M, a figure that is significantly less than in 2007 but they plan to return to a zero deficit in 2009.
“This speaks volumes of the resoluteness of the force to act responsibly and spend within its budgetary allocation,” the Commodore said while adding that during this year spending would only be authorised through the programmes and approved activity- based budgets of units and departments. He said that efficient budgetary planning can only lead to efficient spending and improved human and material resource management.
During the past year, he noted, the force has attracted “new blood” by removing some civilians from the reserve because of their age and this led to the re-organisation of the reserves with a sharper focus on the development and recruitment of highly skilled civilians to complement the military staff.
He said that all of their security standing orders have been completely overhauled and critical upgrades have been made with positive impact on the force.
‘Challenges’
“Excellency, with changes come challenges and difficulties, the force has had its share of intransigence among officers and soldiers and in these are cases of flagrant violations of our regulations and not a case of absence of regulations. Some officers and soldiers no doubt seek a fat dollar and a quick exit,” the Commodore said. He asserted that the challenge is to detect such persons in the training environment and ensure that military values are instilled above and beyond personal values.
He recalled the support which the force gave to the joint services leading to the restoration of order.
The Chief of Staff said they continue to work with the police and he has since asked Commissioner of Police Henry Greene to identify one or two officers to be trained to become helicopter pilots.
The Police Commissioner later told reporters that at least one police officer has been identified to be trained following Best’s request.
Meanwhile, Best said that re-capitalisation and re-equipping the force is necessary and this has already begun in some sectors and would offer credible defence to the nation.
“But Your Excellency, you should not be worried the force is in safe hands. Our activities as a force speak volumes, our image has improved, the public is more trusting and its further involvement in defence and security is accepted as a positive way forward.”
The Chief of Staff said the force had now “broken free from the past (and) no longer can we be judged by historical incompetencies, we would continue to provide leadership in the force and to our communities.”
Commendation
President Jagdeo in response to Best’s report commended the Chief of Staff for his leadership and the fact that he focused on some of the issues he had raised at last year’s officers conference. However, he cautioned that the issues are ongoing ones and the army should keep them on the font burner as they have to be implemented year-in year-out and become part of the army’s culture.
The President described the education programme implemented by the army for soldiers as one of the best he has seen since he became president and has been impressing on past army heads that it was an area they should address. He pointed out that the programme must give the soldiers an opportunity to lead a productive life after leaving the army.
“I have seen attempts to do this but this is the first major organised attempt to do this at all levels of the force and I do hope this attempt will succeed and yield better results than the ones I have been reassured in the past… that the programmes were implemented but when I checked the outcome it was not much that we can speak about here today.”
The Head of State said that he hopes that this new programme would deliver the desired result since he has committed to pumping the necessary resources into it.
Meanwhile, the President said re-capitalisation and re-equipping the army and other elements of the joint services are very important to him but he added that it is not a task that could be completed immediately. He pointed out also that the army’s budgetary allocation had grown significantly over the past several years and “it stacks up well against other sectors of the economy.”
