By Makutu Manneh
One of the soldiers being decorated by CDS Kinteh assisted by Gen. Mamat Cham
The Chief of Defense Staff of the Gambia Armed Forces (GAF) Massaneh Kinteh, on Friday January 10th 2020, presided over the decoration of eighteen officers to various ranks in GAF.
CDS Kinteh together with his deputy Major General Yakuba Drammeh and a host of senior soldiers, decorated the eighteen officers to the ranks of Lieutenant-Colonel, Major, and Captain. Ten soldiers were promoted to the rank of Captain, six to the rank of Army Major and two to Lieutenant-Colonel.
“Effective leadership at all levels of command is the duty and responsibility of the officer core,” CDS Kinteh told the gathering; that the promotion to become senior officer comes with greater challenges to encounter; that he expects the promoted and decorated officers to face such challenges with the right attitude. He advised them to prepare to face the challenges associated with their new ranks.
He told the newly decorated officers that GAF is as good as its officers, but that it can be equally as bad as its them. CDS Kinteh advised the newly promoted officers to maintain the highest standard of discipline, loyalty, and commitment to national duty at all times and to leave up to their expectations; that he does not doubt their abilities as officers and in their capacities to positively impact on the reform process of GAF.
Yakuba Drammeh Deputy CDS reminded the decorated and promoted officers that they took different oaths during the ceremony; that these are very strong oaths any soldier has to undertake.
“I trust you will keep to these promises because promotion in Military is not mere decoration, but an additional responsibility and commitment,” he said.
Lieutenant-Colonel Abdoulie Manneh speaking on behalf of his fellow promoted officers advised them to work hard and deliver as expected.
“It is a fact that hard work goes with promotion and GAF is no exception to this,” he said. He concluded by praising the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces President Adama Barrow and CDS Kinteh for promoting them in their careers.
The soldiers took seven different oaths and these are oath of office, secrecy, trust, allegiance to the Commander in Chief of the Gambia Armed forces, allegiance to the State and allegiance to the people of the Gambia.
