Georgetown: The successful graduates of the Standard Officer Course (SOC) 50 and the Reserve Officer Course (ROC) 16 are now officially Officers of the State after receiving their Instruments of Commission from President David Granger on Wednesday.
The newly Commissioned Officers took the Oath before President Granger and in the presence of Chief of Staff Brigadier Patrick West at the Baridi Benab, State House. Close relatives of the Officers were also invited to the ceremony.
President Granger congratulated the young Officers and said he was pleased to present them with their Instruments of Commission which appoints them as Officers of the Force in accordance with the Defence Act. He noted that the conferral of the Instruments of Commission is a rite of passage signalling that each of them are now Officers of the State. “Your commissions are not certificates merely to mark the successful completion of a training Course. They constitute the lawful license for you to exercise authority as Officers of the Republic,” he noted. The President further stated that an Officer’s Commission demands trust, loyalty and good conduct and requires that they exercise dutiful diligence and discipline and to demonstrate obedience to their superiors.He urged the officers to be courageous, competent and committed.
President Granger decorated the Officers with their new badges of rank during the Commissioning Parade which was held at D’Urban park on Wednesday afternoon.
Best Student of the Standard Officer Course and the Reserve Officer Course , Second Lieutenants Jehu West and Robert Skeete, respectively received a Sword of Honour each, which is the Commander in Chief prize for the Best Graduating student.
The SOC graduates are the first batch to have benefitted from a restructured programme which has occurred in the context of Commander in Chief, President David Granger’s Total National Defence Policy. The restructured SOC extends the range of knowledge and skills training for potential Officers. As such, in addition to receiving their Instruments of Commission, for the first time in the history of officer training in Guyana, this batch of SOC students have earned an Associate Degree in General Studies from the University of Guyana.
The Reserve Officers’ Course has been reintroduced after a hiatus of a decade. The group of young professionals that have been commissioned comprise, but is not limited to doctors, pilots and teachers.
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