Volume 6, Issue 4 February , 2013 Find us at: www.gdf.mil.gy

Creed: I am a professional in the Guyana Defence Force. “SERVICE” is my Motto.

February Edition 2

The Guyana Defence Force had its fair

share of convincing soon- to- be University

of Guyana graduates as well as students

of the nation’s schools that it is definitely

one of the organisations with which they

can have a promising career whilst serv-

ing and protecting their country.

The platform was the University’s career day

held on February 15, 2013 at Turkeyen campus

and which gave the Force and other state and

private agencies an opportunity to showcase to

youths , the available opportunities and careers

in their fields.

The University also uses the event to inform its

prospective students about available areas of

study and pre-requisites for admission. It also

enable employers and employees to bridge the

labour market information gap and to foster a

better understanding of each other’s expectations

Despite the inclement weather which curtailed the length of

the activity , students flocked the GDF Display Booth and

were curious about about recruitment procedures at both of

the Officer and Other Rank level.

The Force’s participation at events such as these , emphasiz-

es its commitment to contributing to national development

by edifying its human resources.

The Guyana Defence Force has over the

years lent support to the University for this

activity as many of the officers and a few oth-

er ranks are graduates from various faculties

. The Force will continue to play its role in

contributing to the development of the coun-

try most important human resource - Youth

!

At left SSGT Ezray Alfred , Paratroop-

ing Instructor explains the use of safety

helmets during Paratrooping while at

bottom Recruitment Officer LCPL

Smith explains recruitment procedures

to students

“ The BRC was very rough . I recall clearly

that I cried throughout the whole first week

to go home but as the course progressed I got

stronger and I begun to enjoy it and it be-

came like nothing ,” Sgt Curry said as she

casted her mind 18 years back.

After successfully completing her BRC , SGT

Curry was posted to the Forces Medical Corps

where she continues to serve until today at its

Base Camp Stephenson as IC. She has completed a number of

Medical Courses as well as a 1st Aid Responders Course , the

Junior Non-Commissioned Officers Course , the Care for the

Elderly Programme at the IDCE and the Drill Course. She is also

an HIV AIDS Peer Educator. “ I am proud to have served this

institution . I love the work that I am doing and it will be benefi-

cial to me even after I have left the GDF and I remain grateful to

the GDF for letting me live my dream ,” she said.

Anxious to give advise to young soldiers , Sgt Curry stated that “as

a private , we tend to operate a little irresponsible and as you develop

in rank you adapt a level of responsibility and this must grow as you

elevate into rank . Always try to elevate yourself and aim high always .

Do not just sit and accept life as it comes , always push forward. Don’t

indulge in things that will put you in trouble , always find yourself

doing something that is going to beneficial to you .” she implored .

“ My journey with the GDF has been a fulfilling and enjoyable

one . In tough times I prayed for guidance and I have tried my best to

cope . I have grasped a lot since I have been here and so I have no re-

grets that I chose the GDF!

2

VOLUME 6 , ISSUE 4 February 2013

“ From a very early age I wanted to become a Soldier , and I

always dreamt of becoming a Nurse . The Guyana Defence Force has

afforded me the opportunity of fulfilling both my dreams , “ says Ser-

geant Michelle Curry who enlisted in July 1995 after serving in the

National Service.

Sergeant Curry hails from Number 53 Village , Corentyne Berbice

and gained her formal education at the Leeds Primary School . Thereaf-

ter she attended Short Hand classes and submitted applications to re-

cruitment teams from the Police Force and the then National Service .

She served the National Service for a few years where she was trained in

Basic Nursing in Kimbia , Region 10. Following her graduation from the

Nursing programme , Sgt Curry was transferred to the Guyana Defence

Force and underwent training on the Basic Recruit Course.

3

February, 2013 VOLUME 6 , ISSUE 4

Appropriately titled, this column seeks to bring YOU in tune with

the sometimes simple and at other times essential bits that YOU

should know about the organisation YOU serve.

This edition focuses on educating , particularly those

new to the Force , on how to identify the different

Badges of Rank of the GDF and their Coast Guard

equivalence . We begin with Other Ranks .

Guyana Defence Force Coast Guard

Staff Sergeant

Senior Petty Officer

Warrant Officer Class Two

Warrant Officer Class two

Technical

(at bottom)

Chief Petty Officer

Warrant Officer Class One

Fleet Chief

Guyana Defence

Force

Coast Guard

Private

Ordinary Rating

Lance Corporal

Able Rating

Corporal

Leading Rating

Sergeant

Petty Officer

4

VOLUME 6 , ISSUE 4 February , 2013

F orce Swimming Instructor Corporal Noel

Culpepper recently successfully completed

the first Lifeguard course ever to be held in

Guyana.

The course was facilitated at the National Aquatic Centre at Liliendaal on the East Coast of Demerara ,

where Culpepper and 13 others undertook the 7-day programme which taught First Aid Skills , CPR , Spe-

cialized Life Saving Skills , Drowning Prevention , Rescue Strokes and Skills , both theoretically and

practically. The training was conducted by Pat-

rick D’Almada ,a representative of the Interna-

tional Commission of Life Saving Society of

Canada .

This latest achievement for Culpepper builds

on previous Foundation training which he

received during a three week programme in

Brazil in September 2012.

Culpepper , who has been a devout swimmer from a tender age , said he feels

privileged to have been able to participate in the training which he says im-

proved the quality of his skills and enables him to be a trained Lifeguard. He

stated that the Diving and Recue and Life saving Techniques were the areas

he enjoyed the most simply because they were most challenging. “ But I am

a strong swimmer and no nothing was particularly difficult for me .

Saving someone’s life calls for quick action and observing specific

procedure . But I got it eventually,” he said

Culpepper , who has his eyes set on becoming a national swimming instruc-

tor while still serving his country as a soldier , is passionate about helping

swimmers in the Force to reach to the level that they can compete at the

national level. “ Many of them have the potential and with my training

I am in a better position to assist them to improve overall.” he said.

The Medals which Cpl Noel Culpepper was awarded following

successful completion of the Lifeguard Course

Cpl Culpepper (second from right edge

of pool ) along with other participants

in the Lifeguard Course which was held

from February 2 to 9

Cpls Cul-

pepper

and Caldei-

ra during

the Swim-

ming Foun-

dation

Training in

Boa Vista,

Brazil from

Sept 9-22.

5

VOLUME 6 , ISSUE 4 February, 2013

T wenty –Two Junior Non– Commissioned Officers have

entered into the Corps of Senior Non-Commissioned Of-

ficers following the 2013 Promotions.

In keeping with tradition , the newly promoted Sergeants had to

endure their initiation . An initiation is conducted in many clubs , societies and fraternities . It is essentially a rite of passage ceremo-

ny marking entrance or acceptance into a group . In an extended sense , the initiation also signifies a transformation in which the

initiate is “reborn” into a new role to serve or service that environ-ment . The Sergeants initiation included physical fatigues , drills

and the consumption of a an appreciative Brew which they had to

consumed upon motivation by their seniors . To drink the brew is a show of their acceptance of their new membership to the SNCO’s

Corps .

6

VOLUME 6 , ISSUE 4 February , 2013

Beginning this edition , the Welfare Corner will seek

to inform and educate you about the Force’s Welfare

Department which has been set up to provide welfare

support to members of the Force and their entitled

families.

This inaugural article will highlight several aspects of

the Guyana Defence Force’s Welfare Policy.

The Welfare Policy is intend to give clear guidance on respon-

sibility and authority for welfare mattes , and provide guid-

ance for the correct courses of actions aimed at ensuring the

well being of all Force personnel.

The GDF , under the management of the Chief of Staff (COS) ,

and through the Force Welfare Department (FWD) and Com-

manding Officers , has a duty to care to ensure that welfare

support measures are in place wherever Force personnel are

required to serve .

Welfare is therefore one of GDF’s core business.

The vision of the Force’s Welfare policy is to have a Force

which consists of a body of highly motivated members , ena-

bled by a welfare support system that inspires them to per-

form at the highest level in every area of administration , op-

erations and training.

The main principles underpinning this policy are:

A. Responsiveness—All allegations or suspicions of abuse

or violations of defence personnel’s welfare will be taken seri-

ously and acted upon appropriately and speedily.

B. Confidentiality— All information relating to welfare of

defence personnel will be treated as Staff-in-Confidence and

will not be disclosed to authorized personnel.. All personal

information concerning the welfare of members will be se-

cured. All such information will be transported in sealed ,

addressed envelopes stamped with the classification, “Staff-

in-Confidence”. Confidentiality is to be brokenly ONLY to

prevent self harm , a danger to others , a serious civil or mili-

tary crime , a breach of security of the effectiveness of a sol-

dier being compromised in the course of his/her duty.

C . Equality—Welfare support will be impartial and will not

be discriminatory on the grounds of ranks , race , sex, religion

or social background. The principle of equality will be para-

mount. (To be continued in the next edition)

- Urges serving females to set achievable goals

Captain Natoya Fraser has

successfully completed her

internship at the

Georgetown Public Hospital

Corporation , qualifying as a

medical doctor and has

joined the staff at the GDF

Medical Corps as Medical

Officer.

Dr. Fraser earned the Bachelor

of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery Degree (MBBS) and graduated from

the University of Guyana in Novem-

ber 2011.

The young Officer is one of the

latest to benefit from the

Force’s continuing policy to pro-

vide opportunities for the aca-

demic and professional develop-

ment of its human resources

and that of the nation. The Cap-

tain proceeded to read for her

degree after being awarded a

scholarship to study at the uni-

versity in 2006.

Dr. Lewis-Fraser said that, in

many ways, her military train-

ing was a significant enabler during her medical studies.

“Understanding and appreciating the need to be thor-

ough, organised, and disciplined in my approach to life,

was critical to ensuring that I maintained the level of

success necessary to achieve my goals and the expecta-

tions of the Guyana Defence Force during my studies,”

she noted.

She said her internship was most rewarding and presented her

with a steep learning curve since it involved the real-world ap-

plication of her university training. . The young Doctor ex-

plained that it was not difficult to meet the expectations of the

assessing doctors.

Addressing her role in the GDF Captain (Dr) Lewis-Fraser

indicated that she happy to be in service at the GDF Medical

Corps as in this way she will be giving back to the Force.

“I am thankful to have been given this great opportunity

by the GDF to earn my Medical Degree. But, more im-

portantly, as an Officer in the GDF, I am committed to

giving back to the Force and to the nation at large.

Captain Fraser has expressed the hope that all serving females

will set achievable goals and put their best foot forward. “You

cannot go anywhere or achieve anything if you do not set goals!

Your lives must be goal-oriented. You must plan and work to

your plan. Perseverance is critical. The GDF is not a play

school! As females, you must learn to be tough and to make

tough but intelligent choices.”

Dr. Natoya Fraser

7

VOLUME 6, ISSUE 4 February, 2013

Thinking about the treasure, the gringo for-

got what day it was, so he asked four abo-

rigines and got these answers:

A: Yesterday was Wednesday.

B: Tomorrow will be Sunday.

C: Today is Friday.

D: The day before yesterday was Thursday.

Because everything you need to know is

how many people lied, I will not tell. What

day of the week was it?

See our next Issue for the solutions to these Brain Teasers

Answers from the last Issue:

*Peter picked 18 peppers

*For the second brain teaser, the name of the

famou singer is Stevie Wonder.

ON THE INFANTRY SIDE

Find the words or the word combinations in the puzzle

During a college class a professor, professing that he was an atheist to the class that he was teaching told them that he was going to prove to them that there is no God.

He said, "God, if you are real, I want you to knock me off of this platform. I'll give you 15 minutes!"

Ten minutes went by. He kept taunting God, saying, "Here I am God. I'm waiting!"

It got down to the last couple of minutes and a young veteran service member just released from being on active duty and newly registered in the class walked up to the professor, and hit him full force in the face, which sent him tum-

bling from his platform.

The professor struggled up, obviously shaken and yelled, "What's the matter with you? Why did you do that?"

The veteran replied, "God was busy; so he sent me!"

ARMED FORCES

AIRCRAFT CAR-

RIER

ALLIED FORCES

ARMY

ASSIGNMENT

AVIATION

BASIC TRAINING

CADET

CAPTAIN

CHAPLAIN

COAST GUARD

COLONEL

COMMANDER IN

CHIEF

CORPORAL

CUTTER

DESTROYER

ENLISTED

ENSIGN

FINANCE CORPS

FOXHOLE

GREAT WAR

HELICOPTER

INFANTRY

LIEUTENANT

MAJOR

MESS HALL

MILITARY POLICE

OFFICERS

PARADE

PATROL

PENTAGON

PROTECT

RADAR

RATIONS

ROTC

RADAR

RATIONS

ROTC

SATELLITE

SERGEANT

SERVICE

SIGNAL CORPS

SKIRMISH

TOMCAT

UNIFORM

VEHICLES

WASHINGTON

WEAPONRY

VOLUME 6, ISSUE 4 February, 2013

This Newsletter was prepared by the G5 Branch for distribution to Members of the Guyana Defence Force, Government Ministries, Members of the Joint

Services, Libraries and Veterans’ Associations. It can also be accessed on the GDF’s Website at:: http://www.gdf.mil.gy

The Guyana Defence Force football team has lost its

title as Namilco champs following two

crushing defeats which plummeted it

down to fourth in the Fruta Conquer-

ors organized Namilco “ One Love”

Knockout Football Classic.

GDF were the defending champions and

initially all was going well following their

game against the Northern Rangers and

BV Triumph whom they won 5-nil and 2-

nil , respectively , in the quarter finals.

It was the team’s first loss against Alpha

United that dimmed its hopes of regaining

the title with a dissapointing play which

caused the competitor to climax to 5 , un-

defended.

Team GDF was then put against the Fruta

Conquerors in the third place showdown

but was put down 2-1.

Speaking to the teams loss , Coach Denzil

Thompson said he feels that the team was

not psychologically focused and this was to

the other team’s advantage. “ So because we were not fo-

cused , we made errors and so the other team was able to

capitalize on this . Its not that they played outstanding ,

but that because of our critical errors . Its not that they

were outstanding its just that our errors were to their

advantage ,”he said.

He noted that there may be the need for some adjust-

ments on the team . “ of his calls for teamwork , from the

coaching staff right down and together we will work to

iron out the difficulties ,” he said.

Speaking to the morale among players following the loss ,

he acknowledged that some of them tend to ‘throw in the

towel’ for a few days but then with time they regain the

will to continue and we work from there . It’s the second

loss in two years , but with motivation we will get back to

work ,” he stated.

Coach Thompson remains optimistic about the teams per-

formance and following the Namilco competition , the

team will be preparing to compete in the Premier League

for which they current hold the Champion Title . In this

competition the team played 15 games in one round

last year , however this year the competition entails

30 games , two rounds.

ACTION!!! As team GDF tried to defend its title as Na-

milco Champs

The team during training at home

at the BC (A) Playfield