GDF officer successfully completes overseas training

Having successfully completed advanced military staff training, Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Commander Vernon Burnette has returned to Guyana from the United States with a Master of Science degree and a Diploma from the Naval War College at Rhode Island, USA.
He graduated last May from the Salve Regina University with a Master of Science Degree in Administration, Justice, and Homeland Security, and last June from the Naval Staff College at Rhode Island with a Diploma in Navy and Joint Professional Education in National Security, Strategy, Policy, and Joint Military Operations.
The two courses were done concurrently, with the latter focusing on theatre security decision-making, strategy, war-fighting, and joint military operations. It also included several large-scale planning exercises which provided participants with the opportunity to draft national security strategies.
Commander Burnett studied alongside a diverse group of American and international senior officers, and has been recognised as a highly professional officer with the requisite skills and attributes for higher levels of command. He was publicly commended for his two academic papers titled, “Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief,” and “Existing Security Challenges between the United States and the Caribbean.”
While commenting on his achievements, Commander Burnett stated, “It is my intention to use this new knowledge to make a positive impact towards the further development of the GDF Coast Guard. We were not only able to draw from the course material presented, but from the experiences of the officers who attended from the various militaries, with similar security challenges, strengths and other factors,” he added.