Dear Editor,
The MotP decided to do a hasty press release, on Sunday 2019-06-02 around 23:00 hours, in response to my letter. This release, in my opinion, is nothing but unadulterated “balderdash.” It actually strengthens my point about the legal advisers to His Excellency.
I will now try my best to respond to the MotP press release:
With regard to the President sitting as the Chairman of the Defence Board and Minister of Defence, that is indeed true, according to our Constitution. However, in his role as Chairman of the Defence Board and Minister of Defence, he is supposed to be acting in the interest of the state, and not for the Government.
The army is “LOYAL” or “SUBORDINATE” to the state, and not the “Government.” It is clearly defined in the Oath taken by each and every officer upon commissioning: “I will bear true faith and allegiance to the State of Guyana; that I will support and defend the State against all enemies whomsoever.”
I will not bother to reply to the issues dealing with neglect, the Cadet Corps, the Reserve and the former Government. We are, first and foremost, soldiers and NOT politicians; please don’t drag us into your political squabbles. Those issues should be addressed in Parliament. As a matter of fact, were they ever addressed when you were sitting on the other side of the table?
As regards training, based on our geography and environment, Exercise Greenheart remains relevant to our training doctrine. However, Exercise Ironweed needs to be revised. Modern wars are fought from the air, and not with troops running around the savannahs. Our army is more involved in military operations other than war, or MOOTW, a term coined by the US Military. I am quite sure that, as Chairman of the Defence Board and Minister of Defence, you are very aware of this too.
Kindly allow me to thank you, on behalf of all the “equestrians”, for the horse-riding lessons. This will help us greatly in our hinterland patrols, as opposed to using ATVs.
Horseback patrolling was implemented by Major General Joe Singh, after the Rupununi Uprising in January 1969, to counter cattle smuggling. I am sure that all of Guyana would be happy to know that, after 50 years, we are still using horses to patrol the hinterland while the enemy is using ATVs, SUVs and aircraft.
With regard to all the wonderful things you have done for the GDF since 2015 to present, isn’t it your obligation, as the Chairman of the Defence Board and Minister of Defence, to do so, sir? You are not doing us a favour by providing for the army; for the GDF to execute its mandate, we need to be properly equipped with the relevant tools and resources.
The problem some of the politicians and public officers in this country seem to be suffering from is clearly understanding who they work for, and not who works for them.
The MotP press release failed to address the legitimate concerns in my letter. They attempted to play politics and gain cheap political mileage. I wish to ask the intellectual author/authors of the MotP press release a few questions:
1. Why did the President change the retirement policy? How many former officers who currently work for this Government retired after 20 years of service with all of their benefits?
2. Why is the Executive arm of the Government intruding on the Judicial arm with regard to interdiction of ranks?
3. Why is the President changing the promotion criteria as detailed in the Defence Act, Chapter 15:01 of the Laws of Guyana?
This is the same document that was referenced by MotP.
“The Ministry of the Presidency wishes to make it pellucid that the Head of Government, since Independence, had been Chairman of the Defence Board and Minister of Defence; his duties are detailed in the Defence Act, Chapter 15:01 of the Laws of Guyana.”
The new retirement policy will result in a top-heavy force with no room or scope for the younger officers to be elevated to higher rank. All over this country, the youths are stagnated, with no room for elevation. This practice has to stop at some point.
To the senior officers of the GDF, stop making wild accusations about the author of the first letter. I am a junior officer seeking answers to the legitimate questions you all failed to address.
Allow me to say this in closing, please: We are in 2019; we are evolving slowly but surely as a country and a people. Gone are the days when the military was used to do political work, such as selling “New Nation” papers by Kitty Market. Those days will never be allowed to return. Kindly provide some answers to us regarding the questions.
Sincerely,
Concerned Junior
Officer
