Kofi Ampeah Woode
The Chief of the Army Staff (COAS), Ghana Army – Major General (Maj Gen) Lawrence Kwaku Gbetanu, has undertaken an operational visit to Units under the 4 Garrison of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF), to gain firsthand insight into the operational, administrative and logistical challenges facing the Units.
The visit, from Thursday 19 June to Friday 20 June 2025, began at the Headquarters of Central Command (C/COMD), where the COAS was honoured with a Guard of Honour, after which he was given comprehensive briefings on C/COMD, 4 Infantry Battalion (4BN), and 87 Signal Regiment.
In addition to touring Headquarters C/COMD, 4BN and 87 Signal Regiment, General Gbetanu also toured detachments, and the Forward Operating Base in Obuasi, which fall within 4BN’s Area of Operational Responsibility.
During an All-Ranks durbar, held at the OB Akwa Auditorium, the COAS assured troops that Ghana’s Ministry of Defence and the Military High Command, are actively working to retool GAF, to address accommodation and equipment inadequacies.
Outlining his vision for his tenure, the COAS stated that he seeks a motivated force anchored in core military values and enhanced by adaptive technologies and modern platforms capable of projecting decisive land power.
He urged personnel to remain loyal to the Constitution of the Republic of Ghana, and announced the reintroduction of a raft of military exercises and competitions.
As a directive, Maj Gen LK Gbetanu was emphatic that the full Basic Fitness Test (BFT) is now a prerequisite for deployment on Peace Support Operations, and that Exercises Starlight Stretch, Tiger’s Path, Thunder Bolt, Fire Blast, Drill Competitions, and route marches with other security services, will be reinstated.
He highlighted the importance of these activities in promoting force cohesion and esprit de corps among the troops.
The COAS also cautioned personnel against engaging in illegal operations, stressing that such activities tarnish the image of GAF, and that the military hierarchy has zero tolerance for misconduct and abuse of civilians.
Credit: 4BN PR DET
