By Kumba Leigh
The Gambia Armed Forces on Thursday, 13th October 2022, graduated 226 new recruits of intake 37, who underwent an intensive 20-week basic military training. They include 61 female officers.
Making a remark at the graduation ceremony, held at the GAF Training School in Fajara, the Vice President Alieu Badara Joof, said the occasion has shown the resolve of the government in ensuring that the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the country is protected and safeguarded. “The successful completion of the military training is a form of rite of passage for the graduates to become part of gallant men and women entrusted with defending the territorial integrity of the nation, and that is commendable”.
He admonished graduates to adopt the core values of the military, execute their duties professionally and always conduct themselves in a discipline manner. He noted that such a training has gone through series of frank and constructive consultation with The Gambia Armed Forces high command, and the need to conduct a recruitment exercise to resolve some of the human resource gaps within the armed forces.
“After a thorough engagement, my office admitted approvals for the defense headquarters to conduct and recruit the main selection process, and the board that was constituted by the Chief of Defense Staff was to ensure that the recruitment is treated freely and fairly,’’ he stated.
He added that the turn of a new political dispensation had created the environment for The Gambia Armed Forces and other security forces to freely conduct their operations without any interference, stressing that the GAF had made a tremendous progress in the important domain of capacity development of its personnel, and communication bridges with the media during the period under-review.
VP Joof commended the GAF of being responsive and participatory to enhancing national development, as exemplified during the flood disaster in July.
Chief of Defense Staff, Lt General Yankuba A. Drammeh informed that the recruitment exercise was necessitated by an assessment of the prevailing strength of the armed forces against the backdrop of constitutional necessities. This, he said is determined on the basis of the military organisation, command structures, what the strength of the military should look like, peace time operations, national security roles and the constitutional performance of the armed forces.
He stressed that following the new political dispensation in 2017, the government of The Gambia deemed it fitting and proper to impose a moratorium on recruitment in the armed and security services including the GAF. He said there was the need to reorganise and restructure the GAF in the form international best practices.
