History and Overview of Training in the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) Introduction

History and Overview of Training in the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) 


Introduction

Training is a very important process that every organisation must undertake to achieve its goals. The need for high technical levels of training is even more relevant to the military; especially in this era of rapid technological advancement and corresponding increase in the complexities of conflict situations around the world. It has been said that the main past time of all militaries in the absence of war is training. Training therefore is the bedrock of all successes in military operations.

The GAF cannot afford to pay lip services to quality training. We consider training as an essential tool necessary for the attainment of high levels of the requisite skills for our professional development, demanding our commitment, full effort and focus, in order to ensure that GAF is well postured to adequately meet the challenges we face currently and what the future may bring.
Mission and Objective of GHQ Training

The Ghana Armed Forces’ training Mission is:

“To develop the capacity to maintain the freedom and territorial integrity of Ghana, to enable the conduct of operations wherever required for national development”.

Objectives of training in GAF

    Develop the capacity of troops to maintain the freedom and territorial integrity of Ghana to enable government pursue the legitimate interest of national development and economic growth.

    Develop joint training activities with other relevant institutions for the maintenance of internal security.

    Develop a capacity for national disaster management and environmental protection in conjunction with other agencies.

    Develop the requisite skills and capacity to participate in peace support operations at all levels.

    In recent times, the emphasis of our training activities has been in the following areas:

    Peacekeeping and related issues.

    Military Operations in Urban Terrain (MOUT).

    Internal Security (IS)/Counter Insurgency (COIN) Operations.

    Peace, Security and Counter Terrorism studies.

    Computer Literacy Training.

    Disaster Management Techniques and Civil Military Cooperation.

    Staff Functions.

    Stress Management

    International Humanitarian Law.

    Law of Armed Conflict (LOAC).

    French Education

    Service/Corps specific training requirements.

Aim of Training

Training at all levels aims at ensuring that Personnel are given the knowledge and skills to undertake their individual and collective tasks, as well as play their parts as team members in Single Service, Joint Operations or Combined Operations.


ACHIEVEMENTS

The department has successfully coordinated all training activities of GAF till date.


CHALLENGES

Budgetary and manpower constraints have been the major limiting factors on the number of officers and men approved to pursue local, higher education and overseas courses.
TRAINING INSTITUTIONS

Training in GAF is conducted under tri-service and single service institutions. The former provides courses which cut across all three services and supporting services while the later concentrates on service-specific courses. Tri-service Training Institutions include the following:

    Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College (GAFCSC).

The Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College (GAFCSC), runs the Junior, Senior and Command Courses for officers in the Ghana Armed Forces and other sister countries under various defence agreements. Masters programs, Post-graduate Diploma and certificate programs are also offered by GAFCSC in collaboration with the University of Ghana, Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) and other foreign institutions, to develop the human resource base of GAF officers.

    Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Center (KAIPTC).

This is an autonomous international center of excellence running courses in areas like Peace Keeping, Peace Support Operations, Good Governance, Gender Rights and other related courses for local and international participants.

    Military Academy and Training Schools (MATS)

The Military Academy and Training Schools is the umbrella institution overseeing the Ghana Military Academy (GMA) and eighteen (18) other tri-service school.

    Nurses and Midwifery Training School

The Nurses and Midwifery Training School is responsible for training of all nurses, midwives and para-medical staff of the Medical Corps.
ORGANISATION OF TRAINING

Training in GAF is structured at all levels; from the general headquarters to the least unit or sub-unit levels. The Department of Training is responsible for the coordination and supervision of all training activities of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF).
Organisation of GHQ Training

For the performance of its supervisory and monitoring functions, the Department of training is organised as follows:

    Director General (DG), a Deputy Director General (DDG) and three Assistant Directors General (ADGs) who coordinate training activities for all the three services.

    There are two Directorates under the Department of Training. Each is headed by a Director of the rank of Colonel or its equivalent, for the specific areas:

    Director of Training and Doctrine (D Trg & Doc): The Director is assisted by a Deputy and three Assistant Directors coordinating, Policy and the core functions of training.

    Director of Physical Training and Sports (D PT & Sports): the Director is assisted by a Deputy Director and three Assistance Directors, coordinating all PT, sports and recreational activities.
Single Service Institutions
The three services making GAF also run courses in their services school to meet their special service requirements. Some schools under the Services are:

a.    Ghana Army
1.    Army Combat Training School (ACTS)

2.    Army Recruits Training School (ARTS)

3.    Asutuare Training Camp (ATC)

b.    Ghana Navy
1.    Basic Naval Officers Training

2.    Naval Trade Training School (NTTS)

3.    Basic and Leadership Training School (BLTS)

c.    Ghana Air Force

1.    Flying Training School (FTS)

2.    School of Trade Training (S of TT)

3.    Air Force Recruits Training School (AFRTS)
PAST DGs

The list of past Director Generals of the Department from the time of elevation to a Departmental status is as follows:

    Col DCK Kattah (GH 1081)               - Feb 1998   -  Jan 2000 (Last D Trg)

    Brig/Gen DCK Kattah (GH 1081)        - Jan 2000   -  Sep 2001

    Brig/Gen PK Opoku     (GH 1426)      - Sep 2002   -  Jan 2004

    Cdre MM Tahiru  (GH 1435)              - Jan 2004    - Apr 2006

    Brig/Gen AK Amedoh  (GH 1510)        - May 2006  - May 2009

    Gp Capt JK Forkuo      (GH 1514)       - May 2009  -  Mar 2011

    Gp Capt E.Asare-Yeboah(GH1823) -Mar 2011  - Jul 2011 (Acting)

    Cdre SK Darbo  (GH 1851)  - Jul 2011 to date.