Army Chief calls for more participation in People’s Militia

Chief of Staff (CoS) of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Brigadier George Lewis has made an official call to all Guyanese to be part of the re-established Guyana People’s Militia (GPM).
The GPM, also referred to as the reserve, was resuscitated by a presidential directive back in 2015. Brigadier George said that in the coming years, the GPM will be actively involved in recruitment to supplement the regular force: “I exhort all Guyanese, to make as your national duty, to join the Guyana People’s Militia and play your part in Guyana’s defence”, he said Tuesday at the launch of the force’s 51st anniversary celebration.
He said the National Economy cannot sustain a large regular force, and so a “strong militia” must be built to supplement the regular force during times of need.
President Granger earlier this year said the Guyana People’s Militia, which is in accordance with the Defence Act, is a reserve force and can be deployed to render assistance to regional administrations and communities in times of emergency.
“The Militia will become again the citizens’ army. It will be based in communities in every region of our country in order to keep those communities safe. A civil defence corps under the Civil Defence Commission is now being established to assist the government in times of environmental hazards”, he had told a military forum.
Former army Chief Brigadier Mark Phillips had announced that the GPM had been re-established with effect December 1, 2015, in keeping with the defence policy of the six-month old civilian administration.
He explained that the posts were not full-time, but “part-time soldiers”, and that the whole concept is to have a small regular army and a larger reserve that could augment the regular army.
The GPM was established in 1976 in accordance with the Defence Act at a time when the country had been facing internal and security threats.