Georgetown: Chief of Staff, Brigadier Godfrey Bess on Tuesday welcomed Adjutant General of the Florida National Guard (FLNG) Brigadier General James Eifert and his team to the Guyana Defence Force (GDF).
Also welcoming the distinguished visitors were Colonel General Staff, Colonel Julius Skeete, Inspector General, Colonel Kenlloyd Roberts and Colonel Administration and Quartering, Commander Vernon Burnette. US Ambassador, Sarah Ann Lynch, was also present for the activity.
“As trusted partners, your strong friendship and collaboration is much appreciated and it is important that we are supporting each other in beneficial initiatives,” Brigadier Bess said, adding that such partnerships are crucial.
He also briefly recounted a few of the challenges posed by Guyana’s new assignation as an oil-producing nation, and explained that in that regard, the GDF is capitalizing in order to be in a stronger position to respond to evolving threats. Brigadier Bess emphasised that, despite those challenges, Guyana remains committed to peace in the region.
“The Guyana government is committed to the development of the GDF and we look forward to building capacity, accessing resources and benefiting from your continued support,” he said.
Brigadier Bess told the visiting delegation that Guyana is pleased to be hosting Exercise TRADEWINDS this year, and said that he is certain that visiting troops will benefit greatly from their interactions here.
Major General Eifert expressed thanks for the warm Guyanese hospitality and indicated that it was a privilege to visit Guyana and the Guyana Defence Force.
“The Florida National Guard is proud to be a partner of yours. We look forward to working toward meeting your security objectives,” he said. He commended the Guyana Defence Force for demonstrating its professionalism to the world given the national circumstances over the past year.
The FLNG provided a review of its partnership with the GDF for 2021, indicating that they had already met their stated goal but intimating further, that the GDF will benefit from three more training and human development interactions before the end of the year.
The partnership between the GDF and the FLNG have resulted in several Subject Matter Expert Exchanges (SMEEs) involving troops from both institutions.
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