Kofi Ampeah Woode
The Ghana Army Combat Training School (ACTS) has rounded up its 14 weeks energy-sapping and mentally draining advanced courses on Mortar, Medium Machine Gun and Infantry Platoon Weapons Courses.
The courses which rounded off on Friday 23 May 2025, commenced on 14 February 2025, with twenty-seven (27) Officers and Soldiers for Advanced Infantry Platoon Weapons Course (AIPWC 1-25), 42 for Advanced Mortar Course (AMC 1-25), and 30 for the Advanced Medium Machine Gun Course (AMMGC 1-25).
Delivering the closing remarks, the Commander, ACTS – Colonel (Col) Robert Narh spoke of how the training program has been able to make the participants tactically proficient in handling and instructing on 3 to 5 types of the 81mm Mortar, 5 types of the Medium Machine Guns and about 10 to 12 Infantry Platoon Weapons.
He added that the various courses have allowed participants to reinforce their strengths in various fields, and iron out difficulties in subjects like Tactics, Map Reading (judging distances), Voice Procedure, Weapon Handling, Fire Control, Range Management, and most importantly, Method of Instruction.
Col R Narh continued to say that being trite that Skill at Arms is very technical and difficult, and therefore, to be an expert and a good Instructor requires a lot of hard work, the participants completing the three courses without anyone of them obtaining a mark of C minus (C-), D or failures, is a great achievement.
He also reminded them that soon their performance on courses will determine their promotions, and how far anyone can climb the Army’s promotion ladder; and that rising to the rank of Senior Warrant Officer (SWO) is now highly dependent on one getting a minimum of C on Basic, and C+ on their Advanced courses.
The Commander, ACTS – a designation also referred to as COMBAT EXPERT ONE – charged participants and their respective Units to take the responsibility of ensuring that the knowledge gained is retained, constantly upgraded and also put into practice through constant revision and sub-Unit training.
Average marks for the participants for the courses were; AIPWC – 65.9%, AMC – 44.6%, and AMMGC – 34%.
In a related matter, Col Narh specially cited the outgoing Acting Chief Instructor (A/CI) – Lieutenant Colonel (Lt Col) Martin Dziedzorm Dey, for supporting ACTS and the Army Training Command (ATRAC), with some developmental projects.
He further highly commended the entire cohort (especially students of Mortar and MMG), for supporting ACTS in improving its infrastructure, teaching and learning facilities, by purchasing and fixing air-conditioners in their classrooms, and for buying floor tiles, cement and other accessories to support washroom construction and other projects.
For the donations; Lance Corporal (L/Cpl) Brempong Joseph of 1 Infantry Battalion (1Bn) gave 10 bags of cement; L/Cpl Karikari Harrison of 2Bn gave 5 bags; L/Cpl Ehomah Bliss Paul of 10 Mechanized Battalion (10 Mech Bn) together with Staff Sergeant (S/Sgt) Amponsah Duah of 66 Artillery Regiment (66 Arty Regt) gave 5 bags.
L/Cpl Mensah Sylvester, L/Cpl Boateng Richard, L/Cpl Lumor Hope and L/Cpl Kpodo Daniella – all from 3Bn, jointly donated 4 bags, while seven (7) Officers on the three courses, jointly gave 15 bags of cement for the school’s developmental projects.
For the honours on the 3 courses; with AMC, L/Cpl Mensah Christabel of 64 Infantry Regiment (64 Inf Regt) was 1st; Cpl Amoah Emmanuel of 4Bn was 2nd; L/Cpl Nkum Emmanuel of 1Bn was 3rd;
For the AMMGC, Leading Seaman (LS) Botchway Ebenezer of Naval Headquarters was 1st; Cpl Donkor Solomon of 3Bn was 2nd; and L/Cpl Yeboah Philip of 2Bn was 3rd.
For the AIPWC, S/Sgt Abladzie Edem Louis of ACTS was 1st; L/Cpl Elangbin Bilado Francis of 4Bn was 2nd; Cpl Appiah Amoateng Patrick of 3Bn was 3rd; and Lt Eric Sarfo Amoako of 2Bn was 4th.
Credit: ACTS HQ
