Ghana Military Academy
The Ghana Military Academy is the military academy of the Ghana Armed Forces. It offers basic military training to officer cadets from the Ghana Army, Ghana Navy and the Ghana Air Force.[1] The academy is based in Teshie in the Greater Accra Region.
Entrance to the academy is by examination, and the curriculum includes military and general subjects.[2] Duration of the course for army cadets is two years.[2] At the end of the first six months, a few candidates may be selected to finish their studies at foreign institutions such as the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst in Britain.[2] The Ghana Military Academy, established in 1960, also provides short courses in higher military education for the officers of the three services.[2] The best senior officers are selected periodically to attend the Army Staff College at Camberley in Britain or one of several other senior service schools in foreign countries.[2]
| Motto | Service·Devotion·Sacrifice |
|---|---|
| Type | Military Academy |
| Established | 1960 |
| Commandant | Brigadier General Charles Agyemang Prempeh;[3] |
| Location | , , |
| Campus | Whistler Barracks |
| Colors | Green and White |
History
[edit]The Ghana Military Academy (GMA) was established on 1 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 Military Academy and Training School (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 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 30th 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 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 were climaxed with a Golden Jubilee Anniversary Parade which was reviewed by His Excellency, Professor John Evans Atta Mills, President and Commander-in-Chief (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 Jerry John Rawlings of Ghana, all alumni of the Academy.
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 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.
Mission
[edit]The mission of the Ghana Military Academy is to produce leaders of character for the defence of Ghana.
Objectives
[edit]1.To give the Officer Cadet a broad view of the military profession as a whole, and his responsibility as a servant of his State.
2. To develop in the Officer Cadet the spirit of patriotism, loyalty to and love for his nation.
3. To develop in the Officer Cadet the essential military characteristics of leadership and management, sense of discipline and sense of duty.
4. To develop physical fitness in the Officer Cadet.
5. To lay down the foundation of military and academic knowledge upon which the studies of future arms of Service can be built.
GMA Anthem
[edit]| Lyrics |
|---|
| 1. Hail the Ghana Military Academy Training grounds of the Ghana Armed Forces Command. Service Devotion and Sacrifice. Service to Ghana our mother land Here to learn, obey, command and lead. Will your anchor hold the training ground?
2. We shall not fail this course |
Organisation Of The Academy
[edit]The Ghana Military Academy has in overall command a Commandant, usually an officer of the rank of Major General or equivalent. After him is a Deputy Commandant of the rank Brigadier-General (Brig-Gen) or equivalent. The Academy Sergeant Major (ASM), is a Master Warrant Officer or equivalent.
Organisation Of Courses
[edit]The Academy runs the following courses for cadets:
a. Standard Military Course (SMC) which is for 24 weeks.
The SMC is a tri-Service Course. It involves a minimum of 24 weeks of basic military training (this includes 6 weeks Induction Training referred to as Ginger Period). Cadets are required to Pass-Off the Square after completion of the induction period. The transition from SMC to RCC will be marked by a Change of Status Parade.
b. Regular Career Course (RCC) which is for 48 weeks.
The RCC is a 48-week special to service training phase of the course. It follows directly from the SMC until graduation. SSC & SD. This is a 6-month intensive course for selected OR and civilians with special or professional qualifications. Unlike some other national military academies such as West Point in the United States, the Royal Military College of Canada in Canada or the Nigerian Defence Academy in Nigeria, GMA is not a university. Prospective Cadets as a requirement must already possess a Bachelors degree.
c. Short Service Commission and Special Duty Course (SSC/SD) which is for 26 weeks.
The Short Service Commission and Special Duties Course is a 6 month 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 duration of any other special course apart from the above courses will be determined by Commandant in consultation with the Academic Management Board and the Ghana Armed Forces High Command.
Organisation Of Cadet Body
[edit]The Cadet body is organised into a Cadet Battalion which is commanded by a Commanding Officer Cadet Battalion who is responsible through the Course Commanders and the Svc Chief Instructors for training and administration of the cadet body. They are assisted by Officers Commanding, Course Officers, Platoon Commanders and Platoon Non Commissioned Officers.
The cadet body is divided into companies for administrative and training purposes. Officers Commanding, Course Officers, Platoon Commanders, CSMs and Platoon Non Commissioned Officers are assigned to each company as follows:
a. The companies are designated Abyssinia, Burma, Chiringa, and when required Duala. For the ease of instruction, field training/exercises, command and control, cadets are further organised into Platoons. Each Platoon's strength is not more than 35 cadets. The platoons are designated 1st Platoon, 2nd Platoon, 3rd Platoon, 4th Platoon in that order.
b. Irrespective of the Course or Intake, cadets are assigned to companies upon entry into the Academy. Membership of company may change from time to time due to changes in strengths, appointments, or other exigencies.
References
[edit]- ^ "Ghana-Training". www.mongabay.com. Retrieved 2013-04-16.
- ^ a b c d e Ofcansky, Thomas P. (1995). "Training". In Berry, LaVerle (ed.). Ghana: a country study (3rd ed.). Washington, D.C.: Federal Research Division, Library of Congress. p. 279. ISBN 0-8444-0835-2. OCLC 32508385.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.{{cite encyclopedia}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link) - ^ "BRIG GEN AGYEMANG PREMPEH TAKES OVER COMMAND". gafonline.mil.gh.
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