GDF boosts airborne capabilities with 21 newly-qualified paratroopers

The Guyana Defence Force (GDF) has boosted its operational capabilities with 21 newly qualified paratroopers after they successfully completed the 16-week Basic Paratrooper Course, which tested their physical endurance, technical proficiency, and ability to execute the required jumps.

The graduates comprise one junior officer, 16 Ensigns from Standard Officers’ Course number 57 (SOC # 57), and four ranks from the 31 Special Forces Battalion. The students completed three basic static-line jumps and one battle jump. The 16 Ensigns, including two females, achieved a 100 per cent pass rate.
Training covered physical fitness, break-fall techniques, harness procedures, and other practical skills required for static-line parachuting. Daily assessments tested the trainees’ proficiency and compliance with established training standards.
At the closing ceremony, Commanding Officer of the 31 Special Forces Battalion, Lieutenant Colonel Loring Benons, cautioned the graduates against carelessness, overconfidence, and shortcuts, stressing the consequences of lapses in a discipline where precision and adherence to procedure are essential.
“In this field, there is no room for carelessness, overconfidence, or shortcuts. The smallest oversight can have serious consequences. This qualification is not the end of your learning, but the beginning of a continuing responsibility to remain proficient,” he stated.

He urged the graduates to maintain their skills and uphold the standards required for safe and effective parachuting throughout their careers.
For the Ensigns, the qualification adds a specialised skill to their preparation for commissioned service, while the four ranks from the 31 Special Forces Battalion further develop their existing operational capabilities.
These newly qualified paratroopers expand the GDF’s pool of personnel trained for airborne operations. Sustaining their proficiency will be essential to ensuring that this capability remains available to support the Force’s operational requirements.