GDF commissioning parade: 7 women among 30 to receive instruments for completing Standard Officers’ Course

– Commander-in-Chief hails new generation of soldiers, underscores national transformation and duty to defend Guyana

Seven women were among 30 officers who officially joined the ranks of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) on Wednesday, as President and Commander-in-Chief Dr Irfaan Ali presided over the commissioning parade of the Standard Officers’ Course #56.

Of the 30 who have completed the course, three are from Belize, and five are from the Guyana Police Force (GPF).
Addressing the parade, President Ali described the event as “a moment when dedication, discipline, and duty converge – when young men and women, having proven their mettle through training and perseverance, are entrusted with the duty of command.”
“This is no ordinary day,” the President declared. “It marks not just the completion of training, but the beginning of a lifetime of service. You now carry the responsibility to defend, to protect, and to serve – with fairness, compassion, and integrity.”
The Standard Officers’ Course, conducted at the Colonel Ulric Pilgrim Officer Cadet School, has long been the cradle of military leadership in Guyana and the wider Caribbean. The President reminded the officers that their training was not only a test of endurance but also of character.

”Prosperity must rest on foundation of peace and security”
“Here, you were tested not only in drills but in discipline; not only in tactics but in teamwork; not only in theory but in integrity,” Dr Ali said. “Through this crucible of training, you have been refined, strengthened by discipline, and united by purpose.”
He told the graduates that they now inherit a proud tradition, one built by generations of officers who have defended Guyana’s borders, upheld the Constitution, and given their lives in service to the nation. “
Linking military service to national progress, the President spoke passionately about Guyana’s ongoing transformation and the role of the GDF in safeguarding it.
“Guyana today stands at a moment of immense transformation,” he said. “We are not the same country we were a decade ago. Our economy grows with a speed and scale that has captured the attention of the world. Our social fabric strengthens as communities are connected through better infrastructure and greater opportunity.”
Dr Ali emphasised that prosperity must rest on a foundation of peace and security. “True progress is not measured in GDP alone. It is measured in lives improved, in opportunities created, and in our shared values strengthened,” he declared. “When we invest in national defence, it is not an investment in war – it is an investment in peace, in protection, in the security of our prosperity.”
The presence of seven women among the newly commissioned officers was hailed as a milestone in the ongoing modernisation and diversification of the Guyana Defence Force. It reflects, the President said, a commitment to inclusion, leadership, and equal opportunity.
“These women have demonstrated that courage and competence know no gender,” Dr Ali noted. “They stand today as an inspiration to young women across Guyana – proving that service, leadership, and excellence are for all.”