“Rank is responsibility” – Lt Colonel tells officers completing GDF command, staff course

Fifteen officers, including three from regional defence forces, have completed the Guyana Defence Force’s (GDF) 12-week Junior Command and Staff Course Number 34 (JCSC #34), which focused on strengthening their leadership, planning and decision-making skills.

The course brought together officers from the GDF, the Antigua and Barbuda Defence Force (ABDF) and the St Kitts and Nevis Defence Force (SKNDF). Training covered operational planning, battle procedure, military law, leadership, administration, intelligence and resource management.
Practical exercises and scenario-based assessments tested the officers’ ability to apply military doctrine, exercise sound judgement and make decisions in operational settings. The participation of officers from the three forces also provided opportunities for professional exchange.
Addressing the closing ceremony, Commanding Officer of the Training Corps, Lieutenant Colonel Dale De Mendonca, described officer development as a strategic imperative for the GDF.
He urged the graduates to regard the completion of the course as a milestone in their careers and to remain committed to professional development.
Colonel General Staff Colonel Kenlloyd Roberts, MSM, meanwhile, highlighted the responsibilities that accompany advancement in rank, stressing that character, competence and accountability must guide officers’ conduct and performance as they assume greater authority and leadership responsibilities.

“Rank is responsibility,” Colonel Roberts reminded the graduates, emphasising that promotion brings greater expectations of professional conduct and performance.
Lieutenant Randolph Best of the ABDF was named Best Graduating Student, while Lieutenant Delon Abrams of the GDF was awarded Runner-Up Graduating Student.
Sub-Lieutenant Mohamed Khan of the GDF Coast Guard received the Best Service Paper award, while Captain Kenish Garnette of the SKNDF received the Physical Discipline award.
The Adjutant General, Colonel Lloyd Souvenir; Commandant of the Guyana National Reserve, Lieutenant Colonel Drumson McCaulay; and other senior officers attended the closing ceremony.
The Junior Command and Staff Course is part of the GDF’s efforts to develop officers capable of effective staff work, operational planning and decisive leadership. These competencies, the GDF said are essential to the Force’s operational responsibilities, including safeguarding Guyana’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.