Two hundred-odd members of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), including several civilian employees, received monetary incentives after being honoured as best soldiers/ workers for 2013.
They received their incentives at the GDF 2013 incentives ceremony held at the auditorium at Base Camp Ayanganna last week.
Those honoured were drawn from all units of the force and included, infantrymen, caterers, mess staff, drivers, signallers, office administrative personnel within the force and special projects personnel from the force’s Project Execution Unit.
Members of the force’s various sport teams also received awards for their outstanding performances during the year. Rounding out the incentive awardees at the ceremony was the hardy 76-member GDF Inter Services Athletics Championships (ISAC) team.
The provision of these incentives was in recognition of the hard work, dedication and excellent performances of members of the force. The efforts of many at different levels were recognised.
Congratulating the awardees for their hard work, Chief-of-Staff (CoS), Brigadier Mark Phillips encouraged them to continue striving for excellence.
Remarking that the force believes in rewarding excellence, he also challenged all others to emulate the high standards of their peers.
He indicated that the focus was on recognising the performances and dedication of other ranks.
Brigadier Phillips, an avid sportsman, lauded the track record of the sporting teams, signalling out the rugby team for high praise for having swept the berth of competitions in which they participated this year. The footballers and boxers also came in for high praise.
Noting that the Christmas season had already commenced, the CoS entreated all the troops to be prudent with their finances.
More importantly, Brigadier Phillips indicated that all ranks were to remember that a heightened security posture will be evident during the upcoming festive season and emphasised that they were to remember that the hallmark of their service was professionalism.
