About Ghana Armed Forces:
The Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) was formed in 1957 after Ghana’s independence. The Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) consists of the Ghana Army, Ghana Navy, and Ghana Air Force. Ministry of Defence headed by the Chief of Defence Staff heads and supervises the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF).
The President of Ghana doubles as the Commander-in-Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces and the supreme military commander of the President’s Own Guard Regiment (POGR) and of the Border Guard Unit (BGU).
About The Army:
The Ghana Army (GA) is the ground warfare military branch of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF).
The Ghana Army has a Northern Command headquartered in Kumasi and the Southern Command with headquartered in Accra. In March 2000 these two commands were formed after a restructuring. The Ghana Army Previously had three brigades: 1st Infantry Brigade headquartered in Teshie, the 2nd Infantry Brigade headquartered in Kumasi and Support Services Brigade headquartered in Burma Camp.
There are 6 Infantry Battalions of the Ghana Regiment. The 3rd Battalion of Infantry, 4th Battalion of Infantry and 6th Battalion of Infantry are in the Northern Command while the 1st Battalion of Infantry, 2nd Battalion of Infantry and 5th Battalion of Infantry are in the Southern Command.
There are 2 airborne companies attached to Northern Command. A dedicated Battalion in charge of state security comprising of 64 Infantry Regiment. There is also a Training Battalion, a Staff College, 2 Armoured reconnaissance squadrons of the Reconnaissance Armoured Regiment, a Signals Regiment, 2 Engineer Regiments, an artillery regiment based in Ho and a Logistics Group.
The Armed Forces commit a large number of its armed forces to peacekeeping operations conducted in Africa and across the world as United Nations peacekeeping forces.
The first Force Commander of the Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group (ECOMOG), Lieutenant General Arnold Quainoo who was commander from July 1990 to September 1990 was a Ghana armed forces member.
The Ghana Armed Forces peacekeepers perform duties such as military patrols (patrolling), provosts (military police), electoral observers, bomb disposal units and clearance divers and ceasefire monitors humanitarian aid workers.
About Air Force:
The Ghana Air Force (GHF) is the aerial warfare branch of the Ghanaian Armed Forces (GAF). The Ghana Air Force) started operations on July 24 1959. The Ghana Air Force has its headquarters in Burma camp Accra and operates from Accra, Tamale, Sekondi-Takoradi, and Kumasi.
The Ghana Air Force provides Air Transport and Offensive Air Support to the Ghana Armed Forces and protects the territorial air space of Ghana. The Ghana Air Force also maintains Fighter Ground Attack capability and provide Close Air Support during operation, provides transport support to the Ghana Armed Forces. Provides surveillance over the air space of Ghana and over the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), provides liaison and recce flight capability. Provides VIP flight capability, provides transport support for civilians as the government directs and provides medical evacuation and air rescue assistance.
About The Navy
The Ghana Navy (GN) is the naval warfare military branch of the Ghanaian Armed Forces (GAF).
The Ghana Navy’s provides a defence of Ghana and its territorial waters. It is also supplied Ghana Army peacekeepers in Africa. The Ghana Navy is organized into an Eastern command, headquartered at Tema, and a Western command headquartered at Sekondi-Takoradi.
The Ghana Navy monitors and controls fishing activities in Ghana’s deep waters, Ghana’s Maritime Presence in the West African Waters and Naval Support, Patrol and Control of Ghana’s Territorial Waters and Economic Zone
Fights and checks criminal activities such as piracy at sea, smuggling of illicit drugs, stowaways among others,
Disaster and humanitarian relief operations, search and rescue operations, mercy missions at sea, Assisting the Ghana Police, the Volta River Authority, the Electoral Commission and the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority’s operations.
STRUCTURE OF THE GHANA ARMY
The Ghana army is divided into three (3) brigade-sized “commands”:
- Northern Command (Tamale)
- 6th Battalion, Ghana Regiment
- 69th Airborne Force (One company sized formation each in Upper West and Upper East regions respectively).
- 155th Armoured Recce Regiment (planned)
- Central Command (Kumasi)
- 3rd Battalion, Ghana Regiment (Sunyani)
- 4th Battalion, Ghana Regiment (Kumasi)
- 154th Armoured Reconnaissance Regiment (Sunyani)
- 2nd Signal Squadron (Kumasi)
- 2nd Field Workshop (Kumasi)
- 49th Engineer Regiment (Kumasi)
- 2nd Field Ambulance (Kumasi)
- 2nd Transport Company (Kumasi)
- 2nd Field Operations Center (Kumasi)
- Southern Command (Accra)
- 1st Battalion, Ghana Regiment (Tema)
- 2nd Battalion, Ghana Regiment (Takoradi)
- 5th Battalion, Ghana Regiment (Accra)
- 64th Infantry Regiment (Accra)
- 153rd Armoured Reconnaissance Regiment (Accra)
- 66th Artillery Regiment (Ho)
- 48th Engineer Regiment (Teshie)
- 1st Field Workshop (Accra)
- 1 Motor Transport Battalion (Accra)
ABOUT GHANA MILITARY ACADEMY
The Ghana Military Academy (GMA) was established on 1st April 1960 after years of reliance on foreign Military Academies to commission potential Ghanaian Officers for the Ghana Armed Forces.
The Academy grew out of the Regular Officers Special Training Schools (ROSTS) which was established at MATS, Teshie, in 1953. This School provided 6 months preparatory training for selected cadets from the British West African colonies:- namely Nigeria, The Gold Coast, Sierra Leone and the Gambia, prior to their being sent to the UK or other overseas countries for further officer training and commissioning.
Since its establishment, the Academy has produced over 3,500 Ghanaian Officers. Some have retired while the rest of us are now serving in various capacities in the Armed Forces and in the country as a whole. The Academy has also trained cadets from some sister African countries, notably Nigeria, Uganda, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Burkina Faso, Benin, The Gambia, Togo and Guinea. The first commissioning ceremony was held on 30 September 1961 for 35 officer cadets.
In 1961, the Ghana Government arranged for a joint Military Training Team from Britain and Canada to continue with the training until suitably experienced and qualified Ghanaians were ready to take over. This assistance ceased in 1974. From then, the Academy was manned entirely by Ghanaian Staff until 1 June 1984 when it was decided to modify the training syllabus in line with current trends in other renowned Military Academies.
At the invitation of the Ghana Government, the British Government seconded one officer at a time for a duty tour of 2 years to assist the Ghanaian Staff to implement the revised course syllabus for the Regular Officer Training Programme. The last of the officers of the British Military Assistance Team (BMAT) left in December, 1994 to bring the 10 – year training assistance to an end.
The year 2010 marked a major watershed in the history of Ghana Military Academy when it celebrated its Golden Jubilee Anniversary. Various events were undertaken to mark the occasion and these ware climaxed with a Golden Jubilee Anniversary Parade which was reviewed by HE Prof JEA Mills, President and C-in C of the Ghana Armed Forces. Among the dignitaries who graced the occasion were 3 former Heads of State – Presidents Yakubu Gowon and Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria and President JJ Rawlings of Ghana, all Alumni members.
Another significant development has been the upward revision of the educational qualification for entry into the Academy from the minimum of Senior High School certificate to a minimum of a first degree.
GMA continues to run 2 courses, namely the Regular Career Course (RCC) and the Short Service Commission/Special Duties Course (SSC/SD). The duration of the training has however, been reviewed from 22 months to 15 months for RCC and from 8 months to 6 months for SSC/SD in consonance with the above policy change. The Special Medical Intake (SMI) is run occasionally to address the shortfalls in the strength of the Ghana Armed Forces Medical Services.
The Regular Career Course. The Regular Course is divided into 2 parts. These are the Standard Military Course (SMC) which is for a period of 4 months and the Regular Career Course covering a period of 11 months. The Regular Course therefore runs for a total of 15 months. The course now usually starts at the beginning of May and ends in August the following year.
The Short Service and Special Duties Course. The Short Service Commission and Special Duties Course is 6 months course run for direct entry professionals and servicemen whose services are required by the Armed Forces as specialist officers. The course leads to a Short Service/Special Duties Commission into the Armed Forces. With the revised training regime, the course usually starts in February and ends in August the same year.
The Regular Course is tri-service during the SMC phase. The Army, Naval and Air Force Cadets continue with their appropriate special service training here in GMA after this phase. The Regular Career Course training includes 2 weeks of jungle training at the Jungle Warfare School at Achiase in the Eastern Region. The Cadets also undertake a week of mountaineering at Amedzofe in the Volta Region. All graduating cadets of the Regular Course are granted Regular Commission into the Ghana Armed Forces.
The Regular Course is tri-service during the SMC phase. The Army, Naval and Air Force Cadets continue with their appropriate special service training here in GMA after this phase. The Regular Career Course training includes 2 weeks of jungle training at the Jungle Warfare School at Achiase in the Eastern Region. The Cadets also undertake a week of mountaineering at Amedzofe in the Volta Region. All graduating cadets of the Regular Course are granted Regular Commission into the Ghana Armed Forces.
The Regular Course is tri-service during the SMC phase. The Army, Naval and Air Force Cadets continue with their appropriate special service training here in GMA after this phase. The Regular Career Course training includes 2 weeks of jungle training at the Jungle Warfare School at Achiase in the Eastern Region. The Cadets also undertake a week of mountaineering at Amedzofe in the Volta Region. All graduating cadets of the Regular Course are granted Regular Commission into the Ghana Armed Forces.
The Regular Course is tri-service during the SMC phase. The Army, Naval and Air Force Cadets continue with their appropriate special service training here in GMA after this phase. The Regular Career Course training includes 2 weeks of jungle training at the Jungle Warfare School at Achiase in the Eastern Region. The Cadets also undertake a week of mountaineering at Amedzofe in the Volta Region. All graduating cadets of the Regular Course are granted Regular Commission into the Ghana Armed Forces.
