Kofi Ampeah Woode
Ghana Army’s Peace Operations Training School (APOTS) has commenced a 7-week Military Skills Validation (MSVT) and Mission Leadership Training (MLT) for troops of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Mission in Gambia (ECOMIG) Ghana Company 9 (GH 9), and ECOWAS Stabilization Support Mission in Guinea-Bissau (ESSM-GB) GH 4.
The MSVT and MLT commenced on Monday 4 November 2024, at the Battle Training Camp (BTC), Bundase, with the Deputy Commander, Army Training Command (ATRAC) – Colonel (Col) Godwill Yao De-Souza, as the Guest of Honour.
The MSVT and MLT are Pre-Deployment Training (PDT) programs which APOTS uses to equip Companies with the requisite knowledge and skills, to ensure mission success in their respective missions, and to enable them function effectively in the operational theatre.
Prior to the MSVT & MLT, Command Elements and Key Appointment Holders of these GHANCOYs have successfully completed a 3-Week Mission Leadership Training, which entailed modules such as Tactical Decision-Making Process for Protection of Civilians and Force Protection, Engagement Platoon training, Military Peacekeeping Intelligence and Leadership.
The training provided the platform for fruitful deliberations at plenary sessions, and was climaxed with a 3-day Table Top Exercise, which afforded participants a feel of the analysis, planning, decision-making and reporting on operations at Unit and sub-Unit Headquarters levels.
Col De-Souza urged personnel of the Companies to draw on their experiences from other Peacekeeping Missions, to supplement the training, to become proficient in the duties and responsibilities that ECOMIG and ESSM-GB will demand of them.
He reminded them that the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) has couched an enviable niche for itself internationally as an eminent force in international peacekeeping operations, based on its excellent performances over the years, in numerous international peacekeeping theatres, and that they have to further consolidate this position of GAF.
Present at the commencement ceremony included the Commander, APOTS – Col Clement Kojo Dingane; the Commanding Officer (CO), ECOMIG GH 9 – Lieutenant Colonel (Lt Col) Samuel Twumasi; CO, ESSMGB GH 4 – Lt Col Kwame Owusu-Afriyie; Senior Officers, Command Sergeant Majors (CSMs), and Instructors.
Credit: APOTS PR
