Service chiefs being briefed before the exercise
The Ghana Armed Forces (GAF), in collaboration with sister security services, has commenced a 5-day training program in the Upper West Region.
The exercise codenamed ‘EXERCISE EAGLE CLAWS 21’ is themed “Consolidating Security for National Development”, and it is to train personnel to be prepared in dealing with threats posed by terrorist activities, in the Upper East, Upper West and the Northern Regions of the country.
The training program, which is a collaboration between the Ghana Armed Forces’ Operation Conquered Fist, the Ghana Police Service’s Formed Police Unit (FPU), the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS), the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), and the National Ambulance Service, commenced in the Upper West Regional border town of Hamile, on Monday, May 24, 2021.
Personnel portraying their tactical skills during the exercise
The first scenario held at Hamile Border Post showed personnel portraying their tactical skills as they responded to an emergency attack at the border post.
Then, in another phase, troops of the exercise responded to an attack on foreigners at a hotel in Wa, where troops were exercised in various combat tactics and measures in quelling the attack, putting out fires, medical evacuation and the profiling of arrested ‘attackers’.
The exercise is under the aegis of instructors, umpires, observers from GAF and the United States Army, and was witnessed by the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) – Major General Oppong-Peprah, the Chief of Air Staff (CAS) – Air Vice Marshal Frank Hanson, the General Officer Commanding, Northern Command – Brigadier General (Brig Gen) Moses Mohamed Aryee, the Commander, Support Services Brigade Group – Brig Gen Matthew Essien, Base Commander, Air Force Base, Tamale – Air Commodore David Akrong and several Senior Officers of GAF and other security services in the upper regions of Ghana.
By Linda Tenyah-Ayettey