Twenty personnel of the Ghana Armed Forces have completed nine months of intensive training to become Special Operations Forces operators, strengthening the military’s capacity to respond to emerging security threats.
The graduates, comprising one officer and 19 soldiers, were selected from 87 personnel who underwent an assessment and selection process, from which 30 qualified to begin the training.
Addressing the gathering at the graduation and presentation ceremony of the Army Special Operations Forces Basic Course 5 in Accra on Friday, the Acting Chief of the Army Staff, Brigadier General Franklyn Worlanyo Agbebo, said the training was critical to developing disciplined, resilient and highly capable personnel to undertake specialised military operations.
He said the contemporary security environment, characterised by terrorism, violent extremism, organised crime, cyber threats and asymmetric warfare, particularly across the Sahel and West Africa, required Ghana to remain vigilant and strengthen its operational readiness.
He explained that Special Operations Forces provided precise, agile and adaptable capabilities to address emerging threats, adding that operators needed technological proficiency, intellectual competence, cultural awareness and the ability to adapt to changing operational conditions.
The Commander of the Army Special Operations Brigade, Brigadier General Richard Kainyi Mensah, said the nine-month programme exposed the trainees to rigorous physical and mental conditioning to prepare them for the demands of specialised military missions.
Of the 20 personnel who successfully completed the course, 13 belonged to the Army Special Operations Brigade, while seven were drawn from other units and formations of the Ghana Armed Forces.
According to him, the training covered navigation, fieldcraft, communications, weapons handling, mission planning, leadership, special reconnaissance, direct action, counterterrorism, counterinsurgency, close-quarter battle, VIP protection, survival skills and tactical combat casualty care.
The operators also trained in urban, rural, jungle, riverine and mountainous environments to equip them to operate effectively under different conditions.
Brigadier General Agbebo urged the graduates to regard their qualification as the beginning of greater responsibilities rather than the end of their training.
He charged them to uphold the brigade’s creed and warrior ethics by demonstrating discipline, professionalism, courage, humility and sound judgement in the discharge of their duties.
He also encouraged female officers and soldiers to pursue careers in special operations, noting that the brigade was yet to graduate its first female operator.
Brigadier General Mensah expressed appreciation to the military leadership, former brigade commanders, training institutions and international partners, including the United Kingdom, Denmark, Austria, France, India and Egypt, for their support in strengthening Ghana’s special operations capabilities.
He also acknowledged the contributions of the National Security Council, corporate organisations and individual sponsors towards the brigade’s activities.
Congratulating the graduates, Brigadier General Mensah urged them to maintain physical fitness, improve their tactical proficiency, develop their leadership skills and remain adaptable to changing operational demands.
BY STEPHANIE BIRIKORANG
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