Kofi Ampeah Woode
The Commander, 1 Garrison, Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) – Commodore (Cdre) Solomon Asiedu-Larbi has visited 1 Infantry Battalion (1Bn), Base Ammunition Depot (BAD), and the 851 Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Regiment, to assess how well the Units in the Garrison are doing and collaborating with each other.
Cdre S Asiedu-Larbi, who is the Flag Officer Commanding (FOC), Eastern Naval Command (ENC), paid his maiden visit to the 3 Units, who are all headquartered at Michel Camp (with 1Bn as host), on Thursday 29 May 2025.
He strongly made the point that, due to the vastness of the Garrison, the tasks of ensuring peace and tranquil cannot be undertaken by one Unit only, and that support and collaboration amongst the Units should be heightened.
He also urged Army Units not deem the checking of maritime crime as exclusive to naval forces, since what happens at sea always has effect and players on land, and that when the navy is conducting an operation at sea, they need to be in touch with the Army to deal with issues connected to the operations.
He then informed that some law enforcement agencies are of the conviction that 20% of all the illegal oil that is produced in the Niger Delta, ends up in Ghana for consumption; and that there is an Illegal oil refinery within notorious precincts of the garrison, as crime is becoming seriously sophisticated.
Reminding the Commanders and some of their Key Appointment Holders that GAF has moved beyond kinetic operations and mere show of presence, Cdre Asiedu-Larbi urged Units of Ghana’s military to move into integrating technology.
He also charged them to be constantly minded of their core mandate of maintaining the territorial integrity of Ghana, and to demonstrate absolute loyalty and dedication to higher command, knowing that as the Units deliver these values, the superiors would take care of welfare, logistics, operational and administrative needs.
He also urged 1Bn to take measures to ensure consistent electricity power for its sensitive installations, in the advent of erratic power supply, as he commended the battalion for its self-help projects, such as the construction of a multipurpose auditorium which is at 60%, ablution facilities, and accommodation for Officers.
Commencing with Lieutenant Colonel (Lt Col) Frank Adams – Commanding Officer (CO), 1Bn, followed by Col Francis Laapo, who represented the Commander, 851 EOD Regt – Colonel Asare; and Lt Col Issah Tahiru – CO, BAD; the commanders took turns to brief the Garrison Commander of their various missions, Administration, Logistics, Operations, and challenges.
1Bn’s Area of Operational Responsibility (AOR) has major settlements such as Tema, Ashaiman, Kpone-Katamanso, Akuse, Atimpoku, Akosombo, Koforidua, Abetifi and Mamekrobo, etc., with Operations such as MOTHERLAND, COWLEG, CALM LIFE, MAIDA BUURI, BOAFO, SAFE, CITADEL, and provides support for International Peace Support Operations also.
The Battalion operates with relevant security services to assist civil authorities, to dominate and maintain law and order within its AOR, dealing with threats such as secessionist activities, illegal lumbering and mining, violent crimes, land disputes, nomadic herdsman-farmer disputes, and chieftaincy disputes.
The BAD plays the role of supporting GAF in all operations, by holding established stock levels of ammunition, pyrotechnics and explosives; receives, stores, issues, repairs and accounts for all natures of ammunition for GAF Units; and assists in conventional munitions disposal.
Col Laapo commands the Ghana Army School of Ammunition and Explosives (GASAE), as the pioneer Commander.
The 851 EOD Regt was established in April 2023, to neutralize any threat and other asymmetric warfare issues involving the use of explosive devices, in support of military operations, and conducts other EOD-mandated tasks, in order to support the Commander’s Operational Plan, in all phases of war.
The Regt integrates into Ghana Army operations to tackle the fast-evolving terrorist security threat in Ghana; provides EOD and Counter-Improvised Explosive Devices (C-IED) support to GAF and other security services, to ensure homeland security, in peace, crisis, and conflict situations.
The Regiment also inspects and licenses Ammunition Storage Facilities (ASF), enforces Explosive Safety Regulations (ESR), and ensures safe disposal of conventional munitions, EOD Sweeping, Explosive Hazard Awareness Training (EHAT), and Post Blast Investigations (PBI).
Cdre Asiedu-Larbi was later guided on a tour of the facilities at the 1 Medical Reception Station, by the Senior Medical Officer – Flight Lieutenant Kumahor.
By Kofi Ampeah-Woode
