Airman Newsletter
Airman Newsletter
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FLT SGT APEDIDO F     SGT AIDOO O      CPL KULEVOME NM          FRONT PAGE CAPTIONS
 PHOTOGRAPHER          REPORTER         VIDEOGRAPHER
                                                                MAIN PICTURE - THE CHIEF OF THE AIR STAFF, AIR VICE MARSHAL
                                                                FREDERICK ASARE KWASI BEKOE GIVES STRATEGIC GUIDANCE ON
                                                                AN UP-COMING PROJECT.
                                                               INSERT PICTURE - THE CHIEF OF THE AIR STAFF CUTS SOD FOR THE
                                                               CONSTRUCTION OF A 24-UNIT STUDIO ACCOMMODATION FOR
                                                               AIRMEN.
                                                               DISCLAIMER
 CPL ARTHUR M        MR BOBOBEE TG       MISS ADONOO AS         THE AIRMAN NEWSLETTER IS THE OFFICIAL MOUTHPIECE OF THE
    CLERK           GRAPHIC DESIGNER        REPORTER            GHANA AIR FORCE. IT IS PUBLISHED WITH THE EXPRESS PERMISSION
                                                                OF THE CHIEF OF THE DEFENCE STAFF AND CHIEF OF THE AIR STAFF.
                                        SCAN TO FOLLOW          UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED, VIEWS, OPINIONS AND COMMENTS
                                        US ON OUR SOCIAL        EXPRESSED IN THE PUBLICATION DO NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT
                                        MEDIA HANDLES
                                                                OFFICIAL POLICIES OF THE MINISTRY OF DEFENCE, THE GHANA ARMED
                                                                FORCES OR THE GHANA AIR FORCE BUT THOSE OF THE INDIVIDUAL
                        Reach Us On                             AUTHORS.
                        0534133045                              UNAUTHORISED REPRODUCTION OF THE CONTENTS IN THIS
                                                                PUBLICATION IN PART OR IN WHOLE, IS PROHIBITED. THE EDITOR
 MISS ISSAHAKU A                                                RESERVES THE RIGHT TO EDIT OR REFUSE TO PUBLISH ANY CONTRIBUTION
    REPORTER
                                                                MEANT FOR PUBLICATION.
                 FOREWORD
                                                                                           AIR VICE MARSHAL
                                                                                      FREDERICK ASARE KWASI BEKOE
I am delighted to write this foreword     This has increasingly become                     There are also a number of
on the maiden edition of the “Airman      important in the face of the growing             accommodation units being built
Newsletter”. The introduction of          threat of terrorism and violent                  across the various Bases to ease the
this newsletter forms part of my          extremism within the Sub-Region.                 accommodation challenges in the
strategic vision to project the image     Furthermore, the recent expansion                Barracks. Suffice to add that, we
of the Ghana Air Force. This also         in the Ghana Armed Forces has                    undertake all these in tandem with
necessitated the creation of social       equally made it important for us to              providing air support for the Ghana
media handles and a website to            position ourselves in readiness to               Army and Navy while supporting
galvanise our communication efforts       fulfill our mandate as enshrined in the          the other Sister Security Services.
and keep in line with modern Public       1992 Constitution of the Republic
Relations trends.                         of Ghana. I therefore set out a roadmap          These initiatives and programmes
                                          under 3 pillars; building capacity               cannot be achieved without the
Newsletters are one of the important      of our platforms, building capacity              collective and concerted effort by
tools in communicating and projecting     of our people and improving on our               each individual. I therefore implore
the image of any institution. The         existing infrastructure. I am happy to           all personnel to continue to be
Airman Newsletter will be a channel       announce that all these plans are                professional in the discharge of their
to inform, educate and update             being realised.                                  duties. Commendation also goes to
personnel and our stakeholders on the                                                      all personnel for their hard work
activities, plans and programmes of       So far, there have been extensive                and sacrifices over the period.
the Ghana Air Force. This newsletter      meetings with key industry players
will serve as a key component in          to procure new aircraft for the Air              To our cherished readers, as you
telling the Air Force story from the      Force. We also continue to build the             carefully open the pages, know
Air Force perspective.                    capacity of personnel through local              that each page has been specially
                                          and overseas training. This is made              designed to give you an enjoyable
When I assumed office as the Chief of     manifest in my “FLIGHT PLAN 6”                   reading experience. Relish the
the Air Staff, I outlined my strategic    where we are training a minimum                  moments, cherish the memories
vision for the Air Force which is “to     of 6 personnel from the various                  and enjoy it as much as we did in
become a SMART Air Force capable          Branches in phases.                              publishing this maiden edition of
of defending our territorial air space                                                     the Airman Newsletter.
against any threat and deliver air        On infrastructure, a state-of-the-art
power effectively and efficiently for     Wa r r a n t O f f i c e r s a n d S e n i o r   I wish you all a pleasant reading
national development while enhancing      Non-Commissioned Officers Mess                   experience!
the welfare of Airmen”.                   is currently under construction.
                                                        Mission
                             “To deliver air power to meet national security objectives”.
                                                         Vision
   “To become a SMART Air Force Capable of Defending our Territorial Air Space against any Threat and Deliver
      Air Power Effectively and Efficiently for National Development while Enhancing the Welfare of Airmen”.
                                                      An induction service was held at the      This, according to him, will ensure that
                                                      Garrison Methodist-Presbyterian           they are well-prepared and ready to
                                                      Church, Burma Camp, on Sunday             safeguard the peace and sovereignty
                                                      11 June 2023, to usher in the Chief of    of Ghana.
                                                      the Air Staff (CAS), Air Vice Marshal
                                                      (AVM) Frederick Asare Kwasi Bekoe.        The Director of Religious Affairs of
                                                                                                the Ghana Air Force, Apostle Colonel
                                                      The Guest of Honour, the Chief of         Benjamin Kumi-Woode preached on
                                                      the Defence Staff (CDS), Vice Admiral     the theme “The Faithful God, Our
                                                      Seth Amoama congratulated the             Centre of Gravity”. In his sermon,
                                                      CAS on his new office and wished          he said, leadership is a privilege
                                                      him well in all his endeavours.           to solve problems and transform a
                                                                                                group of people to the glory of God.
  THE CHIEF OF TUTU-AKUAPEM, NANA APPIAH ANTI IV
AND A CROSS-SECTION OF DIGNITARIES AT THE CEREMONY.   AVM Bekoe in his remarks extended         He added that, leadership is an
                                                      his profound gratitude to the Almighty    opportunity to serve humanity and
                                                      God and the Commander-in-Chief            despite challenges of contemporary
                                                      of the Ghana Armed Forces, His            military leadership, there is the
                                                      Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa               need to sustain an efficient force to
                                                      Akufo-Addo for bestowing such an          accomplish every mission.
                                                      honour on him. He also thanked
                                                      the Military High Command and             The induction was superintended by
                                                      personnel of the Ghana Armed              the Director General, Directorate of
                                                      Forces for their unflinching support      Religious Affairs and Senior Chaplain
                                                      and dedication.                           of the Garrison Methodist-Presbyterian
                                                                                                Church, Reverend Commodore Paul
                                                      “I am prepared to put in an endless       Adjei-Djan.
                                                      effort to transform the Ghana Air
                                                      Force into a “Smart Air Force” that       Dignitaries present were, the Minister
    A CROSS-SECTION OF MINISTERS AND MEMBERS
                                                      is capable of defending our country       for Defence, Hon Dominic Nitiwul,
         OF PARLIAMENT AT THE CEREMONY.                                                         National Security Minister, Hon Kan
                                                      and utilise Air Power effectively for
                                                      national development”, he underscored.    Dapaah, Minister for Finance, Hon Ken
                                                                                                Ofori-Atta, Minister for Foreign Affairs
                                                      In order to increase the operating        and Regional Integration, Hon Shirley
                                                                                                Ayorkor Botchwey, Minister for
                                                      capabilities of the Ghana Air Force,      Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs,
                                                      he hinted of plans to increase the        Hon Stephen Asamoah -Boateng,
                                                      number of aircraft and also address       Hon Zenator Rawlings, MP for Korle
                                                      the infrastructure deficit within the     Klottey Constituency, Hon Kofi
                                                      barracks.                                 Marfo, MP for Achiase Constituency
                                                                                                and other Members of Parliament,
                                                      Additionally, he stated that throughout   the Chief of the Army Staff, Maj Gen
                                                      his tenure, he would work to support      Thomas Oppong-Peprah, the Chief
                                                      and provide pertinent services to         of Staff at the General Headquarters,
                                                      the other arms of the Ghana Armed         Maj Gen Peter Nicholas Andoh, and
  A GROUP PHOTO OF CDS AND SPOUSE, CAS AND            Forces.                                   Chiefs from Tutu-Akuapem.
SPOUSE, COAS, COMDT KAIPTC AND OTHER GENERALS.
      The Chief of the Air Staff, Air Vice Marshal Frederick Asare Kwasi Bekoe has toured the
       various Air Force Bases. The purpose of the visits was to assess the operational and
       administrative statuses of the Bases and also to outline his plans and vision for the
                             Ghana Air Force during his tenure as CAS.
AVM FAK Bekoe kickstarted the               These celebrations, according to the   In a similar fashion, the CAS visited
tour with a durbar at the Air Force         CAS, would revive soldiers’ morale     the Air Force Base Takoradi where
Headquarters where he highlighted           and sense of community while giving    he encouraged personnel to continue
on 3 key strategies. These are,             the public a chance to learn more      to work hard towards achieving the
increasing the number of platforms,         about the Ghana Air Force.             mandate of the Ghana Air Force.
improving the capacity of personnel
and upgrading the existing                  During his visit to the Air Force      He also enumerated on a number
infrastructure. AVM Bekoe made              Base Tamale on Friday 14 April 2023,   of projects towards improving the
it clear that he intends to build a         he seized the opportunity to           general wellbeing of personnel.
‘SMART’ Air Force which is capable          encourage personnel to take good
of executing its mandate in contributing    care of themselves and maintain a
to national security and development.       healthy lifestyle at all times.
   CAS INTERACTS WITH SOME SENIOR WARRANT OFFICER’S                   CAS OUTLINES HIS VISION FOR THE GHANA AIR FORCE
                AT AIR FORCE BASE ACCRA.                                         AT AIR FORCE BASE ACCRA.
CAS CONDUCTED AROUND AIR FORCE RECRUIT TRAINING SCHOOL         CAS PLANTS A TREE DURING HIS VISIT TO AIR FORCE BASE TAKORADI.
                    AT TAKORADI.
    GOC NORTHERN COMD, COMD AFB TAM AND OC FLYING                        CAS HOLDS DURBAR AT AIR FORCE BASE TAMALE.
               WELCOME CAS TO TAMALE.
     Air Commodore Eric Yirenkyi took over as the Chief Staff Officer from Air Commodore
           David Akrong at the Air Force Headquarters on Thursday 10 August 2023.
Air Commodore (Air Cdre) DA Akrong, who completed
his tenure successfully as Chief Staff Officer (CSO),
expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to lead and
serve the Air Force. He emphasised on the importance
of teamwork and excellence in shaping the future of
the Ghana Air Force. He also advised personnel to give
the new CSO all the needed support to achieve the
mission and vision of the Ghana Air Force.
 CHIEF OF THE AIR STAFF, AVM FAK BEKOE, COMMANDANT TRADOC,             CAS IN AN INTERACTION WITH OTHER DIGNITARIES.
     MAJ GEN ONWONA AND DIGNITARIES AT THE FUNCTION.
A DEMONSTRATION DURING THE GRADUATION. CAS DECORATES A SPECIAL FORCES SOLDIER WITH A MEDAL.
       A GROUP PICTURE OF CAS, D ADMIN WITH 10 ADMIN                    CAS INTERACTS WITH 8 SUPPLY OFFICERS NOMINATED
        OFFICERS NOMINATED FOR A COURSE IN NIGERIA.                                 FOR A COURSE IN NIGERIA.
CAS WITH DAO, D TRG AND 6 AB INITIO HELICOPTER PILOTS. CAS WITH DAO, D TRG AND 6 AB INITIO FIXED WING PILOTS.
   A GROUP PICTURE OF DIGNITARIES WITH PARTICIPANTS OF                A GROUP PICTURE OF DIGNITARIES WITH PARTICIPANTS OF
           THE AIR FORCE POLICE BASIC COURSE.                               THE ADVANCE DRILL AND DUTIES COURSE.
      CAS AND STAFF OFFICERS IN A CONSULTATIVE MEETING                     CAS AND STAFF OFFICERS IN A GROUP PHOTOGRAPH
       WITH KNUST COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING DELEGATION.                       WITH KNUST COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING DELEGATION.
    COMD AFTRAC, AIR CDRE AWUAH LEADS UG SCHOOL OF AEROSPACE              UG SCHOOL OF AEROSPACE ENGINEERING DELEGATION
    ENGINEERING DELEGATION TO INSPECT THE SCHOOL’S FACILITIES.                       INSPECTS GHFAC FACILITIES.
      AVM FAK BEKOE         AIR CDRE E YIRENKYI     AIR CDRE A ADDEI       AIR CDRE CNA MILLS       AIR CDRE FK KUDOH           AIR CDRE SB OFFEI
           CAS                     CSO                  DCSO P&P          DCSO AIR INT AND D PRJ        DCSO ADMIN                  DCSO LOG
GP CAPT ST TETTEH-CHARWAY    GP CAPT R DANSO       GP CAPT SA JIAGGE       GP CAPT FA BOADU        GP CAPT Y LAATEY-AYEH       GP CAPT TA AGORNYO
           DAFLA                  D ENG                D ADMIN                   DAO                      AIR SEC                GENDER ADVISER
    GP CAPT JW QUAINOO      COL BG KUMI-WOODE         COL BM BLAY         WG CDR MK ADELIBAM         WG CDR BU BILLEY          WG CDR F LA-ANYANE
           D TRG                  DAFRA                   SFC                    DDAI                  DEP AIR SEC                   SPRO
    WG CDR MO FRANCE        WG CDR A BOATENG       WG CDR P KUU-IRE        WG CDR KA RAZAK          WG CDR D ABOAGYE             WG CDR DK OTU
         A/D SUP             DD ENG (COORD)          DDAO (ATS)            DD ENG (MECH AIR)           DDAO (OPS)                DD SUP (ACCTS)
     WG CDR L BOAKYE          SQN LDR FQ TETTEH   SQN LDR D BADU-YEBOAH    SQN LDR CT FIANKOR      SQN LDR M AGYENIM-BOATENG   SQN LDR EW GALLEY
      DD ADMIN (O&S)              A/DD TRG          A/DDAO (CIV COORD)          ADAFPSO                    AD TRG                   AD PROC
     SQN LDR CM ZIKPI       SQN LDR EM ABOAGYE     SQN LDR EF SALIFU         SQN LDR A TAHIRU      SQN LDR RK BOATENG            SQN LDR K DUSHIE
          PSO I                 ASST AIR SEC           DEP SPRO                ADAO (OPS)            AD ENG (MECH)                 AD SUP (M&T)
      FLT LT AJ IDDRISU      FLT LT PNT TAGOE        FLT LT FA ASANTE          MWO BAWA A              SWO II KWAFO AJ           SWO II AWITTOR DE
             UAO             AD ENG (AVIONICS)          PA TO CAS                MAWO                       UWO                     OPS SWO
     AIR CDRE E AGYEN-FREMPONG      AIR CDRE JL MENSAH-LARKAI      GP CAPT SY AGBENYEFIA           AIR CDRE EK ARNESON
          BASE COMMANDER                 BASE COMMANDER           ACTING BASE COMMANDER       COMMANDER TACTICAL AIR COMMAND
                ACCRA                         TAMALE                     TAKORADI                           BUI
COMPLETED PROJECTS
TWO KM BY-PASS FROM AIR FORCE                     CONSTRUCTION OF HELIPAD AT SEFWI                  RENOVATION AND CLADDING OF
OFFICERS’ MESS (GIFFARD ROAD) TO AFB              BOAKO FOR THE BANK OF GHANA.                      AFHQ NEW BUILDING.
ACCRA THROUGH AGRIC MECHANISATION.                The project was started in July 2022, completed   The new headquarters was given a face-lift.
The construction of this access road started      on January 2023 to assist in the movement of
in November 2021 and was completed in             specie (Money) to and from the Western
Feburary 2023 and opened for use.                 Regions of Ghana.
ON-GOING PROJECTS
RECONSTRUCTION OF WARRANT OFFICERS’               CONSTRUCTION OF TWO - STOREY BLOCK                RENOVATION OF KOTEI HANGAR AT AFB
AND SENIOR NON-COMMISSIONED                       OF 19 SINGLE UNIT FLATS FOR YOUNG                 ACCRA.
OFFICERS’ MESS AT THE AIR FORCE                   OFFICERS NEAR EK ASANTE LODGE IN                  The project is being undertaken by 3AMS/
BARRACKS ACCRA.                                   ACCRA.                                            TESEM, it was started in November 2022. It is to
The project started in June 2023 and it is        This started in 2019 as part of a PPP             be extended to cover the Engineering Wing
currently at the super-structure level at about   arrangement with United Rentals. The project is   and modified to accommodate aircraft with
80% complete. It is scheduled to be completed     at roofing stage and it is at about 40%           high tails. The project is at about 20% complete.
in December 23.                                   complete.
THE OC ADMIN WING, SQN LDR L BOAKYE LEADS THE           A FEMALE PARTICIPANT EXHIBITS HER SKILL           THE BASE COMMANDER PRESENTS AN AWARD
        WAY ON THE HORIZONTAL ROPE.                            CROSSING AN OBSTACLE.                           TO THE BEST FEMALE PARTICIPANT.
I then proceeded to the University of Cape Coast for my Bachelor of Arts Degree
and Diploma in Education in 1994. I also hold Masters in Business Administration
(Human Resource) from the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration
(GIMPA) in 2013.
How and when were you enlisted into              In addition, it was difficult to get clothing   myself from the Admin Branch. A few
the Service?                                     and other accoutrements designed for            times, I found myself working with the
Growing up, I was a little fragile and overly    females and so I wore whatever was              former Director on administrative matters
protected due to the age gap between my          issued.                                         and here I am today as the Director.
siblings and I wanted some independence
and freedom from the four walls of my            How did you handle the challenges               What plans do you have for the
family ’s protection. When I saw the             you faced?                                      Administration branch being the first
enlistment advertisement, I felt this was        I had very supportive Officers who guided       female Director?
the opportunity for me to gain my                me. Some of them include, the current           We have rules and regulations in the Air
                                                 Base Commander Accra, Air Commodore             Force and so my aim is to improve upon
freedom. My family also encouraged                                                               the standards or maintain it. Looking at
me and I applied, went through the               (Air Cdre) Eric Agyen-Frempong, Air Cdre        our percentages, the females are almost
processes and was enlisted in 1997 into          Adu Gyamfi, Air Cdre Eric Yirenkyi, Air Cdre    28% in the Air Force. As a Director, my
the Administration Branch of the Ghana           Odoi Wellington, Air Cdre Awuah among           goal is to ensure that both men and women
Air Force.                                       others. Though there were challenges, they      are administered fairly. I will therefore
                                                 provide me all the necessary support            ensure that the 28% of females work just
Who were the other female Officers in            and I am deeply grateful to them.               like their male counterparts.
the field of Administration when you
joined?                                          I would also like to acknowledge the            Another priority is to ensure that female
When I enlisted in 1997, there were only         immense support from Air Commodore              personnel are well kitted and provided
two female Air Force Officers at that            PK Ayisa (Rtd), Group Captain Brachie           with the necessary logistics to enable
time. Squadron Leader Dede Cromwell              (Rtd), Group Captain Datsa (Rtd) and            them function under any circumstances.
(Rtd), who was commissioned as an                the late Squadron Leader P Tay.
Officer in 1994 into the Administration                                                          Furthermore, we will coordinate with
Branch and Squadron Leader Cynthia               The then OC Flying, Group Captain               the various Bases to ensure that the day
Dede Kholi (Nee Barigah) (Rtd), who              Brachie (Rtd) once told me that “Your           care centres are up to the standard. This
                                                 value at work should mirror your status as      will encourage personnel to enroll their
was also commissioned into the Supply                                                            children. Currently, most breastfeeding
Branch in 1995. All of them retired at           an Officer not your gender as a female”
                                                 and that has always been a guide for me         mothers leave work early to go home and
the rank of Squadron Leader. I was told                                                          care for their children while others are
there was another female Admin Officer           throughout my career. It was quite a lot
                                                 dealing with all these issues, but I wasn’t     not able to partake in physical training.
but she was de-commissioned.                                                                     Therefore, the establishment of these day
                                                 intimidated and I was able to surmount          care centres will enable nursing mothers
What were some of the challenges you             all with tact and the support from my           enroll their children at the centres closest
encountered when you enlisted?                   senior colleagues.                              to them and ultimately promote their
On commissioning in 1997, I was posted                                                           efficiency at work.
to the Air Force Base Takoradi and that          When were you appointed the first female
took me out of Accra. I was the only female      Director Administration of the Ghana            We will also continue to work with the
Air Force Officer among the Air Force            Air Force?                                      Gender Advisers to ensure gender
Officers in Takoradi. This was challenging       I was appointed on 31 July 2023 and             mainstreaming and a gender balance
because I had no female to discuss my            I want to thank the Chief of the Air Staff,     in all facets of our operations. All these
personal issues with. Luckily, we had            Air Vice Marshal FAK Bekoe for this             would be done under the guidance and
Army and Navy Units in the Garrison              opportunity, especially being the first         direction of the Air Force High Command.
and I met the then Garrison Education            female Officer to hold this appointment.
                                                 My deepest appreciation goes to the
Officer, Brigadier General Felicia Twum          Almighty God for his guidance all these         What advice do you have for young female
Barima (She was then a Captain and later         years.                                          personnel in the Ghana Armed Forces?
promoted Major). She is currently the                                                            My advice to young female personnel
Defence Attaché to La Cote D’Ivoire. She         How did you feel when you were                  is to be guided by the fact that you are
became the senior sister figure for me           appointed the first female Director             working in a male dominated environment
throughout my stay in Takoradi up till date.     Administration of the Ghana Air Force?          out of your own free will. Do your best
                                                 I got the news from the Chief of the            wherever you find yourself. The system
Those days it was not common to have             Air Staff and I told myself this should         will not pamper you because you are a
female Officers in the office. Airmen were       not just be about me but I needed to            female and so put in your best to earn
not used to having females giving them                                                           your rank and promotion. Nothing will
                                                 prepare myself adequately for the task          come on silver platter if you don’t prove
orders, especially taking into perspective       ahead.
our culture where the man is always the                                                          yourself.
head. At the Officers mess, everyone             I started recollecting how past Directors
expected me to join in certain roles                                                             NOTE
                                                 conducted themselves and how they               Gp Capt SA Jiagge has since been
meant for women when we had official             administered me as an Officer. Also,            nominated to be part of the pioneer
functions. I therefore found myself having       when I was posted to the Headquarters           students for the newly established
to deal with these issues.                       as the Gender Adviser, I didn’t detach          National College of Defence Studies (NCDS).
                                                       24      THE AIRMAN NEWSLETTER
THE ORIGIN OF SOME MILITARY
CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS
     BY   MASTER WARRANT OFFICER BAWA A
                    MAWO
There are conflicting theories about the origins of some military customs and
traditions. One thing that remains incontestable is the fact that the military remains
a professional institution with a unique heritage, a heritage of invaluable tenets
such as discipline, esprits de corps, loyalty, selfless service, camaraderie and
commitment. Customs and traditions in the military are excessively cherished
and passionately adhered to. One of such customs is the sounding of the “Last
Post” which started in the 17th century in Great Britain. The British Army were
routinely inspecting sentry posts within their Camps and at the end of each
inspection, the bugle call was played to signal that those sentry posts had been
inspected marking the end of the military day. During the 19th century, the “Last
Post” was implemented in various countries of the British empire where it is
played as a final farewell during military funerals. This depicted that, the duty        Also, the Naval salute, with the palm
of the fallen soldiers were over and they could gallantly rest in perfect peace.         downwards originated because the
                                                                                         palms of Naval Ratings, particularly
Sounding of the “Last Post” at all military Paying of compliments have received          deckhands were often dirty through
funerals by a bugler has now become         enthusiastic approval and has been           working with the lines.Therefore it
a tradition. The “Last Post” is a “bugle    emulated by many institutions because        was considered disrespectful to present
call” accepted and used at all              of its nature. Saluting with the hand,       a dirty palm to an Officer as a way of
commonwealth military funerals to           shoulder/present arms, and with the          paying compliment; hence the palm
commemorate soldiers who died whether       sword were methods by which the per-         was preferably turned downwards.
in active service or on retirement.         son paying compliment could show
                                            the person to whom the compliment            The history of other customs and
Since 1867, bugle calls have been           was paid that no offence was meant.          traditions such as the gun salute,
reviewed to announce schedule of            Paying of compliments demonstrate            wearing of gorgets, military tattoo,
events in military installations including, loyalty and trust among comrades.            mascot, crossing swords, reveille,
reveille, begining and close of work, fire                                               magajia, Mess, WASSA, wearing of
alarm, retreat, break and piquet.           This practice is governed by the             p o p p y, a m o n g o t h e r s w o u l d b e
                                            law of reciprocity. Meaning, when a          discussed in our subsequent editions.
Another custom worth mentioning is          subordinate pays compliment to a
the paying of compliments. According        superior, the superior is obliged to         Our curiosity will definitely be satisfied
to military historians, the origin of       respond to the compliment appropriately.     when we discover the origins of our
compliments can be traced to the            Failure by a subordinate to pay              cherished military customs and traditions.
medieval period when men at arms            compliment to a superior is a breach
wore armour. During that period, a          of discipline and its consequences           References
friendly approach was noticed when          are dire. Same way, failure by a             1. The Drill Manual. UK Ministry of
one held the reins of the horse with                                                     Defence, 1990.
the left hand while raising the visor       superior to return a compliment to a
of the helmet with the right hand           subordinate shows lack of courtesy on
                                            the part of the superior. The subordinate    2. The Queens Regulations for the Army
so that one would know they were                                                         1975. UK Ministry of Defence, 2019.
friendly forces and meant not to engage     can politely apply the appropriate
them in battle.                             legitimate procedure to seek redress.
                                                                   HONOURED
a successful commissioning of the new terminal by the
Vice President of Ghana, HE Dr Mahamudu Bawumia
on Tuesday 22 August 2023.
                                                                   WOII Kuze Matthew from the Air Force Base Tamale was
                                                                   honoured with a plaque for his dedication and commitment
                                                                   to duty during his service as the Task Force Sergeant Major
                                                                   at Operation Maida Buuri in Bawku, the Upper East Region
                                                                   on Wednesday 30 August 2023.
The following were some activities undertaken by the Command in close collaboration with the Ghana Army,
Ghana Navy, Bui Power Authority (BPA), Minerals Commission, Boundary Commission, Forestry Commission and
other strategic partners operating in and around Bono and other surrounding regions.
WEAPON TRAINING FOR TACAB              SAFETY AND FIRE LECTURE BY BPA                 POL DISPERSAL DUTIES.
      PERSONNEL.                         STAFF TO TACAB PERSONNEL.
 REFUELLING AN AIRCRAFT.                     2023 GREEN GHANA DAY.                  AIR TRANSPORT SUPPORT FOR
                                                                                         DIRECTORS OF BPA.
                                              THE AIRMAN NEWSLETTER   27
    AFRTS PASSES OUT
    344 NEW AIRMEN
The Air Force Recruit Training School (AFRTS) passed
                                                                      JA Kufuor Foundation
with an excellent drill display, the Recruits took the oath of
attestation for their integration into the military as Airmen
after the successful completion of training.
The Guest of Honour, Air Commodore Godfried Sackey Parker,           On Wednesday 19 July 2023, the Ghana Air Force
Commander Air Force Base Takoradi, who represented the               provided assistance to the John A Kufuor Foundation
Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), AVM Frederick Asare Kwasi              and the Ghana Medical Relief by airlifting their medical
Bekoe, stated in his address that the CAS had followed with          supplies to Tamale.
keen interest the various stages of the Recruit training.
He offered his heartfelt congratulations to the Airmen for           The supplies, which included medications, gloves, detergents,
their commitment, determination and resilience throughout            thermometers and wheelchairs, were sent to the Northern
the challenging journey which had brought them to a                  part of Ghana to organise the foundation’s annual
significant milestone in their military career.                      medical outreach programme.
Air Cdre Parker also congratulated the Commanding                    The medical outreach, which took place in Tamale from
Officer, Wing Commander Newman S Naab, Officers,                     Monday 24 to Friday 28 July 2023, provided free medical
Instructors and Administrative Staff of AFRTS for their              care to people residing in Tamale and its environs.
exceptional work in transforming the Recruits to Airmen.
                                                                     In an interview with Mr Samuel Brobbey, Project Manager,
During the awards ceremony, Aircraftman Class II Baba-Zaah           Ghana Medical Relief, he disclosed that the medical
Vida emerged as the overall best recruit, displaying exceptional     outreach aims at providing access to healthcare for people
talent and dedication across multiple disciplines. She also          who would otherwise not be able to afford it.
secured awards for best in tactics and academics. The awards
for best in drill and best in weapon and skill-at-arms               He added that through the collaboration with the John A
went to Aircraftman Class II Kangah Frema Monica                     Kufuor Foundation, they will provide free consultations,
and Aircraftman Class II Gbafa Happy respectively.                   screenings and education on health and wellness and
Meanwhile, Aircraftman Class II Babainnewuur Francis’s               hence encouraged the citizenry to take advantage of the
dedication to physical training earned him the top spot              medical outreach programme.
in the male category while Aircraftman Class II Ibrahim
Rashidatu also clinched the same award in the female                 Mr Brobbey expressed his gratitude to the Ghana Air
category.                                                            Force for the assistance. He said it was a significant boost
                                                                     to the health mission and it will help to ensure that many
                                                                     people in Tamale have access to essential medical care.
  CAS RECEIVES USA OSC CHIEF, LT COL JAMES M LAMBRIGHT               CSO AIR FORCE, AIR CDRE ERIC YIRENKYI WELCOMES DA COTE
                     IN HIS OFFICE.                                     D’IVOIRE, LT COL COULIBALY TO THE HEADQUARTERS.
   DA NIGERIA, COL MUKHTAR SHEHU MUKHTAR PRESENTS A                   THE CHIEF OF THE AIR STAFF, AVM FAK BEKOE WELCOMES
   PLAQUE TO CAS DURING HIS VISIT TO THE HEADQUARTERS.                DA INDIA, COL ROMI SINGH LEGHA TO THE HEADQUARTERS.