A Guyana Defence Force contingent comprising three Officers and 61 Other Ranks left Guyana yesterday  for security duties at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) which is scheduled to be held in Trinidad and Tobago from November 27-29.

The contingent which also comprises 30 members of the Guyana Police Force is under the command of Major Trevor Bowman, a GDF news release said.

Major Bowman is upbeat about the readiness of the troops and said that he expects them to perform their duties with a high degree of professionalism and to be excellent ambassadors of the GDF and Guyana.

In preparation for their deployment, the release noted, members of the contingent have been involved in rigorous training at Camp Seweyo off the Linden-Soesdyke Highway over the past three weeks.

Meanwhile, Commanding Officer 1 Infantry Battalion Lieutenant Colonel George Lewis wished the contingent well and encouraged them to make Guyana proud through their demonstration of exemplary service while in T&T.

The deployment of this contingent follows an earlier troop deployment to T&T in February of this year for the 5th Summit of the Americas.

On that occasion GDF troops were commended for the excellence they displayed in the conduct of their duties.

This current contingent  will work closely with the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force and the T&T police to ensure a secure environment for the hosting of the CHOGM 2009, the release added.