Police Cadet Officer Roger Westmoreland has emerged as the Best Graduating Student of the Guyana Defence Force’s Standard Officers’ Course. On Wednesday afternoon at the Commissioning Parade, he received the Presidential Sword of Honour. The 25-year-old, who hails from the West Demerara said he joined the Police Force in 2018 and jumped at the opportunity two years ago to enlist in the Standard Officers’ Course.
A total of thirty-one Officers received their badges of rank from President Irfaan Ali during their Commissioning Parade on Wednesday at the GDF Camp Ayanganna Headquarters.
Addressing the new Officers, President Irfaan Ali called on them to carry forward the proud traditions of the Force with integrity, courage, and devotion to duty.
“Today is no ordinary day for you our newly commissioned officers. This parade is more than a ceremony in the proud traditions of the Guyana Defence Force. It is a defining moment; it is a day that will be etched forever in your memory. A day that marks not just the completion of training but the beginning of a lifetime of service,” the President told the newly minted officers.
The President also reminded the Officers that their leadership will be tested not only in command, but in the service of a nation on the rise.
“You must lead with fairness, you must lead with compassion, you must ensure the well-being of your soldiers, you must foster a culture of accountability of resilience and of service. You must translate policy into practice and you must ensure that every solider feel respected, supported and prepared, not just to defend our sovereignty but to contribute to national development, to disaster response and to regional stability,” the President urged.
The President told the Officers of their responsibility not only to the GDF but the country as a whole.
“As your Commander in Chief, I remind you that your responsibility is not a trivial one, it carries the full weight of duty, trust and expectation. It is the responsibility to defend, to protect and to serve. It is the responsibility to recognize that our security, our peace and our prosperity, rest not only on laws or policies, not only on plans or strategies but on something far deeper—on the character of our people,” the President stated.
Also receiving special awards for outstanding achievement were Second Lieutenant Hosea Harmon of the GDF, who received the Chief of Defence Staff Prize; Second Lieutenant Cladio Bolon of the BDF, who earned both the Best International Student and the Commandant, Guyana National Reserve Prizes; Cadet Officer Lloyd Calder of the GPF, who received the Colonel Administration and Quartering Prize; Second Lieutenant Wonetta Semple of the GDF, recipient of the Inspector General Prize; and Second Lieutenant Paul Thompson of the GDF, who was awarded the Commanding Officer, 1st Infantry Battalion Prize.
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