– Chief-of-Staff blames indiscipline
Lack of discipline is perhaps the main reason so many soldiers desert their posts annually, Chief-of-Staff Commodore Gary Best says, as the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) begins a campaign to locate more than 100 deserters.
Over the weekend, the GDF published notices in the Guyana Chronicle and the
Guyana Times seeking the whereabouts of 103 deserters. The individuals – including 10 females – have deserted the army.
The notice said: “Anyone having information regarding their whereabouts is asked to call the numbers listed below (226-9888, 225-1655, 640-0520 or 226-7662). Employers countrywide are asked to take note, since these individuals can be arrested at any time.” The notice was issued by Commodore Best.
During a brief comment to this newspaper via telephone yesterday afternoon Best explained that desertion was a complex matter which could not be dealt with in one conversation.
At the time he had no information on whether the deserters had started to turn themselves in or whether any had been picked up. Best encouraged the deserters to turn themselves in and face disciplinary action.
Over the last few years the GDF has been publishing notices in the media for soldiers gone AWOL (Absent Without Leave). In 2008, 78 names were published and last year close to 150 deserted. From 2004 to late 2007 more than 534 soldiers deserted the GDF for various reasons.
When asked what the most prominent cause was for these soldiers leaving the army in such a manner the Chief of Staff said that in most cases it is a lack of discipline. He declined to comment further in the issue.
Meanwhile, army Public Relations Officer, Woman Colonel Windee Algernon told this newspaper that she is not in possession of information regarding the period of time over which the soldiers would have deserted.
She explained that once a soldier has been absent in excess of 21 days without a known reason then he/she is considered to have deserted the army and is therefore subjected to provisions made by the law to deal with such instances.
The Defence Act says every person subject to military law under this act who absents himself without leave or persuades or procures any person subject to service law to absent himself without leave shall on conviction by court-martial, be liable to imprisonment for two years or any less punishment provided by the act.