COAS COMMISSIONS 2 ACC’N AT ATS
In addition to the tall list of projects initiated and completed by the Ghana Army (GA) in times recent, the first phase of a Headquarters (HQ) Complex for the Army Special Operations Brigade (ASOB), has been commissioned, to help GA expand geographically, to provide the required security, in aid of civil administration.
On Tuesday 28 March 2023, with the Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) – Major General (Maj Gen) Thomas Oppong-Peprah as the Guest-of-Honour, the commissioning took place at Gondar Barracks, Burma Camp, Accra, enabling the ASOB quit its co-location status at the GA HQ for over 20 months, since inception. In an address, the COAS stating the purpose of the establishment and operationalization of the Brigade – which comprises of the 64 Infantry Regiment together with the 69 Airborne Force as its core Units, and the Army Special Operations Training School (ASOTS) – said ASOB was promulgated in June 2015, and was established and operationalized on 15 July 2021.
He said the downward spread of terrorist/violent extremist attacks from the Sahel, called for a well-trained, highly motivated and well-equipped force with diverse capabilities and skills set to contain the threat, hence occasioning the creation of ASOB to compliment efforts of regular troops.
Maj Gen Oppong-Peprah expressed assurance of a dedicated force under ASOB, to contain the growing unconventional and asymmetric threat that Ghana faces, since troops under its command have undergone and is still undertaking extensive training exercises such as; Exercise CAMBRIAN Patrols (an international Armies competition in the UK) in 2021 and 2022:.
Other training exercises undertaken include the United States Africa Command’s (USAFRICOMM) Exercises AFRICAN LION in Morocco in 2022, FLINTLOCK 22 in la Cote d’Ivoire, and FLINTLOCK 23, which was co-hosted by Ghana and la Cote d’Ivoire. The General, thus urged ASOB to dare to achieve more, to ensure that GA moves forward in the right direction. The first phase of the HQ building of ASOB (whose slogan is “For Country, We Dare”), has office space for all functional staff of the Brigade Headquarters, with more buildings to be constructed in due course for the Headquarters to operate and function optimally.
A philanthropist – Mr Festus Kluvitsey, Chief Executive Officer of GEOCOM Ltd, offered to commence the project of building the ASOB HQ, at his own expense. At a point, however, the Amy had to invest some substantial amount, to support the financing of the project to have it completed, with Mr Sampson Opare-Agyeman’s Prolicon Plus Ltd, as the contractor. General Oppong-Peprah operates with a military philosophy of providing decent office spaces and living accommodations for Units and troops; this he believes goes a long way in ensuring effective running of units at all levels.
Present at the event included the Deputy Chief of Staff (Logistics) – Maj Gen Prince Osei-Owusu; Commandant, Training and Doctrine Command – Maj Gen BK Onwona; Acting Chief of Air Staff and Commander, Air Force Base, Accra – Air Commodore Eric Agyen-Frempong; Commander ASOB – Brigadier General (Brig Gen) Barima Brako Owusu; Commander, 15 Armoured Brigade – Brig Gen Ben Gah; Commander Army Training Command – Brig Gen SWK Parbey. Others included Staff Officers from the General Headquarters, Army HQ and ASOB, Commanding Officers, Officers, Formation and Regimental Sergeant Majors, Soldiers and Defence Civilian Staff of the Ghana Armed Forces.
