Kofi Ampeah Woode
Ghana Army’s 2 Infantry Battalion (2Bn) has conducted a 2-day company-sized exercise – EX KYINA BUO 2023 – focused mainly on ambush and cordon and search, to prepare the battalion in readiness against all forms of violent extremists (VE) or terrorist attacks.
The exercise, held from Thursday 14 to Friday 15 December 2023, at the general area of the Battalion, was also based on situational scenarios which the unit painted for itself, considering security issues arising from VE activities in the West African sub-region and developments in the country.
The Commanding Officer (CO) of 2Bn – Lieutenant Colonel (Lt Col) Daniel Atobrah Bondah, stated that “EX KYINA BUO 2023” formed part of the Ghana Army’s general training scheme, to position the Army in preparedness to avert possible incidents that are likely to play out within the extremists/terrorists setup.
In that regard, he reiterated that 2Bn as a land force in the Western Frontiers of Ghana, felt the need to prepare adequately through vigorous training, psychologically and physically, as well as to put the Army’s tactics, techniques and procedures to the test, so that in the event of any undesirable situation that would call personnel to duty, they would be capable of answering that call.
Lt Col DA Bondah further stated that the battalion was ready and willing to carry out its role effectively, to defend the Western and Western North Regions against any aspect of attacks, in cooperation with other stakeholders and sister security institutions in the two regions.
Additionally, the CO pointed out that the expectations of “EX KYINA BUO 2023” had been met as they had been able to train on team work, test procedures and planning processes of the Unit, physical fitness and endurance levels of personnel, and the flow of communication amongst Commanders and personnel.
Finally, Lt Col DA Bondah emphasized that although the Army was training rigorously to acquire the mental and physical capacity to defend and protect the western frontiers of Ghana and the nation as a whole, it needed the collaboration of the general public to ward off any entities who would want to foment trouble in our communities, since security is a collective effort.
Military exercises are essential for an Army to maintain its combat readiness, enhance tactical skills, and strengthen operational capabilities, as they play a crucial role in training and readiness, fostering coordination and interoperability, evaluating equipment, developing effective leadership, improving morale and unit cohesion, and serving as a deterrent to potential adversaries.
Credit: 2 GAR PR DET
