Kofi Ampeah Woode
The Army Special Operations Training School (ASOTS), Daboya, under the aegis of the Army Training Command (ATRAC) of the Ghana Army (GA), has passed-out Six Hundred and Ninety (690) Recruits of its Basic Infantry Course (BITC) 3-22 to Private Soldiers, after 24 weeks of intense military indoctrination, basic fitness tests and training exercises.
A passing-out parade was held at the training school, in the North Gonja District of Ghana’s Savannah Region on Friday, 30 December, 2022 with the Commander, Army Special Operations Brigade (ASOB) – Brigadier General (Brig Gen) Barima Brako Owusu as the Reviewing Officer (RO) and Guest-of-Honour, and the Commander, ATRAC – Brig Gen Kwaku Hagan, as Special Guest.
The RO, delivering his address to the Young Soldiers and the audience congregated, stated that the military profession across the world is unique with basic requirements to physical fitness, discipline, mental resilience and robustness, which have to be met before one could be called a soldier, notwithstanding the entry requirement made known through public notice.
He stated further that within the period of training, the trainees were taken through basic but comprehensive military training that included physical training, minor tactics, weapon training, drill, military law, map reading, field craft, first aid, liberal education among others, and also benefited from other enablers which contributed towards their morale and performance, under harsh weather conditions in a rugged terrain.
The Army General was however quick to remind the Soldiers that they had only been given the barest of training to enable them take off smoothly as Young Soldiers, and thus should be minded of annual basic fitness tests that await them, alongside career progression courses that would require them to pass written tests.
For both the relatively weak or strong-minded Soldiers, Brig Gen BB Owusu urged them to make use of the Ghana Armed Forces School of Education’s carefully planned career courses; where those who wish to better their grades and further their education, can enroll to address whatever weaknesses or build upon for self-development.
A total of 700 recruits reported to ASOTS for training in June 2022, however, not all of them could complete the course – for six recruits were released on medical grounds and four were also released on disciplinary grounds. The school sadly lost a recruit in the person of Recruit Asenso Yaw Charles.
At the awards, Private (Pte) Akambong Joel Awennatey won the OVERALL BEST RECRUIT, Pte Awudu Christian won BEST IN ACADEMICS, Pte Mannor Mcbeth won BEST IN DRILL, Pte Aabangmwin Yeltuo Isaac won OVERALL BEST IN PT, while ‘Barwah Company’ won BEST COMPANY.
Dignitaries present included the Commanding Officer, ASOTS – Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Nii Armah Quaye, Senior Officers, Officers, Formation and Unit Sergeant Majors, Soldiers, families and friends of the Young Soldiers.
