Ghana Army on 3-week internal security and counter-insurgency preparedness exercise

Personnel from the Ghana Armed Forces are currently engaged in a three-week preparedness exercise, dubbed 'Starlight Stretch III,' in the Oti Region. This intensive training initiative is designed to bolster the troops' capacity to effectively respond to the increasingly complex security challenges facing Ghana and the wider sub-region.

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apart from counter-insurgency, the troops would also undergo intensive and realistic training covering the full spectrum of internal security, countering violent extremism and terrorism operations.

The exercise serves multiple critical objectives. It aims to validate the troops' formation-level planning and oversight capabilities in internal security and counter-insurgency operations. Furthermore, it seeks to enhance interoperability among combat, combat support, and combat service support units, fostering seamless coordination. The training also emphasizes strengthening the understanding and application of legal frameworks governing military operations, including the Rules of Engagement, Law of Armed Conflict, human rights, and Standard Operating Procedures.

Participants will undergo rigorous training across a broad spectrum of military competencies. These include physical endurance, field craft, battle drills, tactical combat care, communications, convoy protection, drone awareness, and intelligence-led operations. Colonel Lawrence Seddoh Agbedoawu, the Command Operations Officer for Headquarters Southern Command, highlighted that the exercise covers the full scope of internal security, countering violent extremism, and counter-terrorism operations.

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Exercise Starlight Stretch III would progressively develop the individual proficiency, small-unit competence, tactical decision-making and combat team effectiveness of the troops through structured instructions, practical exercises and realistic field scenarios.

Colonel Agbedoawu stressed that 'Starlight Stretch III' is designed to progressively develop individual proficiency, small-unit effectiveness, tactical decision-making, and combat team performance through structured instruction and realistic field scenarios. He urged the soldiers to maintain focus, adhere strictly to safety protocols, and protect the environment. "Let this training sharpen your professional competence, strengthen team work, improve leadership at every level and enhance your confidence in executing operational tasks under demanding condition," he charged the soldiers, emphasizing the potential impact of their acquired skills on national security.

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Let this training sharpen your professional competence, strengthen team work, improve leadership at every level and enhance your confidence in executing operational tasks under demanding condition.

Lieutenant Colonel Enoch Awudu, Commanding Officer of the 1 Infantry Brigade Battalion, described the exercise as both timely and relevant in light of emerging security threats. The initiative underscores the Ghana Armed Forces' commitment to maintaining a high level of readiness and adapting to evolving security landscapes.

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The knowledge and skills you acquire here may one day prove decisive in protecting the security and sovereignty of our beloved nation.