Kofi Ampeah Woode
Ghana Army’s Northern Command (N/COMD) has commenced a 12-week Basic Non-Commissioned Tactical Course 1-2024 (BNTC 1-24), to equip Non-Commissioned Officers (NCOs) to command and administer Sections of Rifle Platoons or equivalent in peace, war, Internal Security (IS), Counter Insurgency (COIN) and counter terrorism (CT) operations.
The BNTC 1-24, which is the basic mandatory combat/tactical course in the Ghana Army, designed to build the military skills of Young Soldiers, and has students from 10 and 11 Mechanized Battalions (Mech BNs) and 155 Armoured Regiment, commenced on Monday 22 July 2024, in Tamale, with the General Officer Commanding (GOC), N/COMD – Brigadier General (Brig Gen) Frank Nartey Tei as the Guest of Honour.
The GOC said the philosophy underpinning the COAS’ vision of “professionalism and combat readiness” with training as the cornerstone of readiness, caused him to devolve the running of the BNTC to the Commands in 2019, to address the increased numbers of untrained Young Soldiers in the Units.
Giving a breakdown of the BNTC 1-24, General Tei said the 12-week conventional phase includes a 1-week Disaster Management, a 2-week IS/COIN/CT and a 2-week Jungle Orientation at the Jungle Warfare School, Achiase.
Further accentuating the necessity of the training program, Brig Gen FN Tei cited the current volatile security situation in the sub-region, such as in Burkina Faso, Togo and others in the Sahel areas, to emphasize the fact that the threat is active and close to Ghana, and that it is not a matter of if it would occur, but when it would occur.
Additionally, the insecurity at Bawku, occasioned by sporadic firing and murders, as well as other chieftaincy conflicts, he said, have exacerbated the fragile nature of the security situation in the Command’s Area of Operational Responsibility (AOR), thus troops must remain alert, steadfast and dedicated to maintaining peace and stability, to safeguard life and civility.
Stating that the object of proper and appropriate training is success in operations, he also reminded the Soldiers/Students that the course is also one of their career progression courses, and hence charged the Instructors with a quote by FM Erwin Rommel “You must see to it that your subordinates are trained in accordance with the latest requirements. The best form of welfare for the troops is first-class training, for this saves unnecessary casualties.”
Present at the event included N/COMD Headquarters Staff Officers, Officer Instructors, Acting Command Sergeant Major, Regimental Sergeant Major, and Instructors.
Credit: N/COMD ADMIN
