News

Chief of the Army Staff Visits 2 Infantry Battalion

• 13 Jun
• Admin

The Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) Major General (Maj Gen) Lawrence Kwaku Gbetanu has paid a two-day maiden visit to the Great 2 Infantry Battalion of the Ghana Army at Myohaung Barracks, Apremdo-Takoradi from Wednesday 11 to Thursday 12 June 2025. The visit formed part of his familiarisation tour of Army Units and Military Installations under the service’s jurisdiction. It offered him first-hand information on the operational activities of the Great 2 Infantry Battalion (2BN) and its areas of operational responsibility (AOR) in the Western and Western North Regions; as well as an opportunity to interact with officers, soldiers and Defence Civilian Staff of the Battalion.

On arrival, Major General Gbetanu inspected a Guard of Honour after which he received an operational briefing at Akwa Complex. The Commanding Officer (CO) of the Great 2 Infantry Battalion, Lieutenant Colonel (Lt Col) Phillip Tetteh Nartey apprised the COAS on the operational, administrative and logistical state of the Unit with a view to highlighting some setbacks that the Unit faced. The COAS also toured some key projects in the Barracks such as the Multipurpose Building at the Battalion Headquarters, 24 Bedroom Complex for Warrant Officers (under construction), Alpha Company Annex (Troops Accommodation), Myohaung annex as well as the Unit's Event Centre.

Major General Gbetanu later on had a durbar with All Ranks and Defence Civilian Staff of the Unit at the Green room. At the durbar, COAS placed emphasis on the need for personnel to remain loyal in service to the state and the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF). He advised military personnel to avoid the temptation of being used as conduits to serve the interest of private persons or organisations rather than GAF and the State.

He pointed out that personnel of the Unit were at risk of being enticed by persons perpetrating illegalities due to the strategic nature and geographical location of the Western and Western North Regions in terms of rich natural resources. He therefore advised them to act professionally and resist the temptation.

COAS shared his vision, ‘ to maintain a well motivated Army grounded on core military values; enabled by adaptive technologies and platforms capable of projecting decisive land power as part of the Ghana Armed Forces. In line with this vision, he reckoned that he would re-introduce into the Army the basic regimental activities which formed the foundation for the success of the Ghana Armed Forces, and Ghana Army in particular. He added that a series of exercises which used to be conducted in the Army but which were put on hold, would be reconsidered to help enhance cohesion and espirit de corps amongst units under the Ghana Army.

COAS hinted that plans were far advanced to get government to retool the Ghana Armed Forces in the area of accommodation. He assured the Defence Civilian Staff present that their grievances which had been channelled to Higher Command would be given the needed attention. He commended the Great 2 Infantry Battalion for holding on to the military culture of regimentation and said that the Unit was a shining example for others to emulate. He urged personnel to support the Commanding Officer to accomplish the Unit’s goals and maintain the reputation which the Second Fighting Spirit is noted for.

COAS seized the opportunity to throw light on the Ghana Medical Trust Fund which he iterated that the Military High Command had committed themselves to support the Fund. He appealed to troops to voluntarily contribute to the fund as the kind gesture would go a long way to ensure its successful establishment.

Further elaborating the Ghana Medical Trust Fund, the Gender Policy Advisor to COAS at the Army Headquarters, Colonel Rahinatu Sledge Alando intimated that the Fund would aid patients who are affected by ailments such as cardiovascular diseases, renal diseases, cancer and other forms of chronic diseases that had not been captured by the National Health Insurance Scheme to get access to quality health care.

She said that since the military thrives on fitness and good health, GAF would contribute its quota to the policy and the task force put together by the Commander-in-Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces, His Excellency John Dramani Mahama to assist in the implementation stages. Hence, she entreated all personnel to voluntarily contribute to the Fund to secure its implementation.

On behalf of the Battalion, the Commanding Officer of 2BN presented a carved portrait depicting COAS himself as a token of appreciation and reminiscence of his maiden visit to the Great 2BN.

The COAS and his entourage also paid courtesy calls on the Base Commander Air Force Base Takoradi (AFB-TAK) who doubles as the 2 Garrison Commander, Air Commodore Eric Yirenkyi at the Base Headquarters and the Western North Regional Minister Hon. Wilbert Petty Brentum at the Western North Regional Coordinating Council. He also visited the Forward Operating Base of the Ghana Army at Sefwi Wiawso to interact with troops over there.

The Chief of the Army Staff was accompanied by the Deputy Chief Staff Officer in charge of Training and Operations, Brigadier General William Archibald Kwabiah; the Deputy Chief Staff Officer in charge of Administration at the Army Headquarters, Brigadier General Alfred Botsoe; the Chief Projects Officer, Colonel Albert Benjamin Tekyi, the Gender Advisor to COAS, Colonel Rahina Sledge Alando and the Service Financial Controller (SFC), Lieutenant Colonel Francis Maclean Brown.