The Ghana Army Special Operations Brigade(ASOB) has held a graduation ceremony for the Army Special Operations Forces Basic Course 4-2005 at the Right to Dream Academy at Old Akrade in the Eastern Region.
The 17 operators, including two officers and 15 soldiers, who successfully completed the eight-month grue[ling training programme, were trained in various special operations forces cross-cutting skills, including land navigation, aircraft communication, tactical combat casualty care, weapon systems and mission planning.
They were also taken through adaptive thinking, leadership, special reconnaissance, counter-terrorism, riverine and jungle operations, counter-insurgency operations, military operations in urban terrain, close quarter battle, unarmed combat, VIP protection, among other elite military operations.
Graduation
During the event, the personnel were recognised for their achievements with the presentation of Operators Badges and re-hating ceremony, a significant milestone which marked the completion of their rigorous training programme.
The Chief of the Army Staff (COAS), Ghana Army, Major General Lawrence Kwaku Gbetanu, decorated graduates with Special Forces Operators’ badges.
Maj Gen Gbetanu commended the personnel for their dedication and perseverance which had earned them the prestigious Special Forces Operator’s Badge, marking their entry into the elite forces of the Ghana Army.
He said the brigade had enjoyed technical, training, and logistic support from international partners, including the United States, United Kingdom, Republic of Austria, Denmark, India and Egypt, and expressed appreciation for the partnership.
Retooling
He said the responsibility to ensure that the Army Special Operations Brigade was equipped with appropriate personal protective equipment, modern weapon systems, efficient mobility and communication systems to enhance their operators work, continue to remain a priority to the Ghana Armed Forces and government, adding that the government was committed to retooling security agencies, including the Army Special Operations Brigade, with modern equipment and systems to enhance their operations.
Mandate
The Commander of the Army Special Operations Brigade, Brigadier General Richard Kainyi Mensah, said the brigade’s mandate, since it’s inception four years ago, was to develop an elite, multi-purpose force for high-priority operational and strategic targets in the context of domestic counterterrorism, unilateral counter-violent and extremist operations.
He said ASOB had partnered with the Ghana Navy to enhance its capabilities in swimming and riverine operations while International partners, including the UK’s Two Ranger Regiments, had also contributed to the brigade’s growth.
Brig. Gen. Mensah noted that Ghanaian operators had excelled in local and international competitions, adding that one personnel recently won first place in four out of six disciplines in the Best Warrior Competition in North Dakota, USA.
