President David Granger on Friday said ongoing reformation has better positioned the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) to protect the country’s territorial integrity as well as to cater to the needs of its members.
President Granger made the comments in congratulating the 951 troops, inclusive of 189 reservists, who participated in the GDF’s Field Tactical Exercise, dubbed ‘Exercise Greenheart,’ at the Colonel John Clarke Military School, at Tacama, in Region Ten.
According to a Ministry of the Presidency statement, on the completion of the successful exercise, Granger, who is the Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces, said it had demonstrated the effectiveness of the Defence Force while disclosing that the Defence Board, the governing body of the Force, is satisfied that the army is on the right path to improving its competence to defend Guyana’s sovereignty. “The people of Guyana look to you to defend this country. They look to you to deter aggression against this country, Granger was quoted as saying.
He noted that the GDF has been rebuilding its strength over the last four years. “You have been able to re-equip the force and when we speak of re-equipment we mean with a soldier in mind, that everything you need, everything you eat, everything you wear, has been given careful attention by the Chief-of-Staff and his principal staff,” he said.
“The rebuilding is continuing; the re-equipping is continuing. You have a wider range of vehicles now, additional aircraft,” he further said, while noting that with additional training and aircraft the army is in an even better position to protect Guyana’s territorial integrity.
Additionally, he observ-ed that with the restructuring of the GDF, several aspects of the force have been strengthened and he pointed specifically to the Intelligence Corps and the Medical Corps.
According to the statement, Lieutenant Colonel Raul Jerrick, Staff Officer One General Three (Operations and Training), explained that the exercise was held to test the preparedness of the troops to conduct operations in a close-country or jungle environment. It also aimed at identifying deficiencies that could be corrected to ensure optimal competency, he said.
During his address, President Granger reminded that it is important for members of the GDF to be familiar with the country’s land mass as they have to be able to operate in all terrain.
He also referenced the continuing influx of Venezuelan migrants to Guyana during this year and noted that the Force has had to strengthen its deployment along the country’s borders. “You cannot be in Camp Stephenson alone or Camp Ayanganna alone, you have to be able to operate in the field in any weather, in any terrain and every year,” he said while reminding that on Monday, the 50th anniversary of the defence of the New River will be observed.
“We were able to do so effectively and efficiently and successfully [defend the New River] and right now have been able to retain every square kilometre of this territory because of the Guyana Defence Force. I applaud the Guyana Defence Force and I thank you very much,” he said.
Granger was also reported as saying that without consistent training, vigilance or the demonstration of competence, the Force would not be able to guarantee territorial integrity and security. He called on the troops to be proud of the achievements of those officers who served in the past but also look to the future and their capabilities so that Guyana’s territorial sovereignty is protected.
The president also voiced his satisfaction in witnessing signs of training in “values.” “…It is not only about a rebuilding or re-equipping or restructuring… in addition to the training you are receiving here, you’d be training in values and standards and I was happy to see in ‘Exercise Greenheart’ elements of the GDF paying attention to the civilians in this East Berbice-Corentyne Region by meeting, engaging with civilians who live in this Region,” he said.
The statement noted that “Exercise Greenheart,” which is the second of its kind since
2015, began on August 6th, 2019 and culminated just after the break of dawn on Friday with a live simulation activity, which saw soldiers attacking “enemy positions” at the Tacama airstrip. It noted that gunshots rang out across the battlefield just off the airstrip, while grenades were tossed from various directions, and smokescreens were released to assist the troops with their attack. Additionally, the troops also participated in patrols as well as para-trooping while occupying defensive positions in the jungle for ten days.
The exercise, which was conducted between Mara Settlement and Tacama waterfront, in the Upper Berbice River, also saw the participation of 30 ranks of the Guyana Police Force and approximately 115 ranks from the Guyana People’s Militia. Medical outreaches were also conducted in the communities in the area.
The statement said Granger expressed satisfaction that ranks of both the Guyana Police Force and the Guyana People’s Militia participated in the exercise, while noting that in accordance with the requirements of “Operation Armadillo,” soldiers and police have to operate in the border and hinterland regions together.
