Eight Senior Non-Commissioned Officers (NCOs) of the Guyana Defence Force yesterday achieved a significant career milestone when they officially assumed their new rank of Warrant Officer, Class I and II, a Guyana Defence Force release stated.
The badges of rank were presented by Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Brigadier Omar Khan, during a formal badging ceremony, with attendees including senior officers, colleagues, and close family members.
The NCOs badged were Warrant Officers Class I (Ag), Eon Winter, Odellie Dos Santos, and Mark Yaw, Warrant Officers Class II, Reon Nedd and Cliff Johnson, as well as Warrant Officers Class II (Ag), Leon Martin, Ornie Smith, and Ryan Scott.
In delivering congratulatory remarks, Brigadier Khan emphasised the importance of leadership, discipline, and teamwork. He highlighted the historical significance of the rank of Warrant Officer and its origins in the Royal Navy of the 1820s, noting that Warrant Officers were pivotal in leadership and mentoring young officers.
The CDS reminded the Warrant Officers that their promotion was earned through dedication and excellence, and urged them to be good leaders. “Your elevation is not automatic but a testament to your unwavering commitment to professionalism. You must now lead with integrity and serve as the standard bearers of the Force.”