The Government of the United States has donated three Freightliner truck heads valued at more than $600,000 to the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) to strengthen military engineering operations and support key national infrastructure projects.
The trucks are expected to improve the movement of heavy engineering equipment used by the military in road construction, barracks development, disaster response and other strategic operations across the country.
The Deputy Minister of Defence, Ernest Brogya Genfi, announced this at a ceremony held at the Engineer Training School in Accra on Wednesday, where the vehicles were officially handed over under the African Crisis Response Initiative.
He said the donation came at a crucial time when the Ghana Armed Forces continued to play a vital role in safeguarding the country’s territorial integrity while supporting national development, humanitarian relief efforts and peacekeeping operations.
Mr Genfi described the gesture as another demonstration of the strong bilateral relations and enduring military cooperation between Ghana and the United States.
According to him, the partnership between the two countries had expanded over the years in areas such as training, logistics support, security cooperation and capacity building.
He said government was currently deploying military personnel to support the rehabilitation of polluted river bodies and reclaim degraded forest reserves destroyed through illegal mining activities.
The Deputy Minister also highlighted the contribution of military engineers to the ongoing Accra Kumasi Expressway project, noting that their expertise had been instrumental in creating the right of way for the project.
Mr Genfi expressed appreciation to the United States government for its continued support to the Ghana Armed Forces, including assistance that enabled military engineers to participate in reconstruction efforts in Jamaica following Hurricane Melissa.
The Chargé d’Affaires at the United States Embassy, Ghana, Ralph Olson, said the donation represented more than equipment and reflected the shared commitment of both countries to strengthening capacity, infrastructure and development.
He noted that each truck was valued at more than $200,000 and would enable the military to transport heavy machinery such as road graders, backhoes and front end loaders to project sites across the country.
Mr Olson said the trucks would directly support ongoing infrastructure projects being undertaken by the Ghana Armed Forces, including the Accra Kumasi Expressway, barracks construction and forward operating bases.
Mr Olson commended the professionalism of the Ghana Armed Forces, describing them as a dependable partner in peacekeeping, infrastructure development, disaster response and regional security.
The Commanding Officer of the Engineer Training School, Lieutenant Colonel Kwadwo Peprah Banasco, said the donation was informed by challenges encountered in transporting heavy engineering equipment during training exercises.
He explained that the school had previously received heavy engineering equipment from the United States and had since organised specialised training programmes for military personnel.
According to him, the first Basic Heavy Engineering Equipment Course, which commenced in January this year and ended in May, produced personnel who are currently working on the Accra Kumasi Expressway project under government’s Big Push agenda.
Lt Col Banasco assured the donors that the vehicles and all resources entrusted to the school would be utilised prudently for the professional development of military personnel.
He expressed confidence that the trucks would enhance ongoing and future engineering training programmes at the school.
BY STEPHANIE BIRIKORANG
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