Generally, the feedback to my first article in July 2023 “Ghana Military Rank Structure” was positive. Below are a few.
Feedback
1. “Thanks General. I have never been able to get this right!”
2. “Good day, Sir! Beautiful Article! I believe not only civilians but most security personnel will cut and paste for the records, The Discussion paragraphs took me to memory lane. It enhanced our history from 1957.”
However, from Nana who “instigated/incited” me to write the article, this is the feedback I received.
“Beautiful! Thank you for this education. However, as a general rule, we are more baffled by the ranks in the Navy and Air Force. Your work has just started…….”
That reminded me of the saying by a General that, “the reward for hard work is more work!”
So, like Charles Dickens’ character Oliver Twist, who after being served food inadequate for his pangs of hunger stated, “Please Sir, I want some more” to the shock and anger of his master, for which he was punished for asking the unthinkable, Nana is asking for some more! In this case however, since Nana is Nana and can demand what he wants, failure of which I may be asked to “twa dwan” ie slaughter a sheep, I will gladly do his will. After all, has Shakespeare not taught us that, “discretion is the better part of valour?”
So, using the Army ranks as the baseline since people may be more familiar with them, I shall discuss the Naval and Air Force equivalents.
Junior Officers
For the Army rank of a Second-Lieutenant (2/Lt) which is the start point for the officer after successfully completing cadet training, the Naval equivalent is Acting Sub Lieutenant while in the Air Force, the rank is Pilot Officer. In the infantry battalion, the 2/Lt commands a platoon of thirty-one men.
After two years, the 2/Lt or equivalent is promoted Lieutenant (Lt). This is automatic and only subject to efficiency and good behavior. In the Navy, the equivalent is Sub-Lieutenant, while in the Air Force, it is Flying Officer.
From Lieutenant - Captain, the officer writes his promotion examination. If successful, he matures in the rank of Lt for four years during which he undergoes various professional courses. At the end of his sixth year of commission, having passed his exams and also had a good Confidential Report, the officer is promoted Captain.
The equivalent of an Army Captain in the Navy is Naval-Lieutenant, and in the Air Force, Flight-Lieutenant. Second-Lieutenants, Lieutenants and Captains in the Army and their equivalents in the Navy and Air Force are called Junior Officers.
Senior Officers
After five years as a Captain during which the officer must pass his promotion examinations and earn a good Confidential Report, he is promoted to the Senior Rank of Major and equivalent. This is eleven years after commission. The Naval equivalent of Army Major is Lieutenant-Commander, and in the Air Force Squadron-Leader.
From Major to Lieutenant-Colonel takes between five-seven years depending on vacancy availability. I did the upper limit of seven years with my Intake/Course mates. So, it took us eighteen years to be Lieutenant –Colonels and equivalents. In the Navy, an Army Lt-Col is a Commander, while in the Air Force, it is Wing-Commander. Beyond Major, there is no promotion examination as one is deemed to have been well-grounded in the basics.
From Lt Col, one advances to Colonel (Col) subject to the availability of vacancies. The equivalent of an Army Colonel in the Navy is Naval-Captain and in the Air Force, Group-Captain. It took me and some of my mates twenty-six years to become Colonels and equivalent.
Majors, Lieutenant-Colonels and Colonels are called Senior Officers. Beyond Colonel, an officer moves into the zone of Generals.
Generals
Generalship starts with Brigadier-General in the Army, Commodore in the Navy and Air Commodore in the Air Force. These are referred to as “One-Star Generals.” Thirty years after commission, my Intake became One-Star Generals. One Star Generals are usually General-Officers-Commanding (GOCs) and Directors-General (DGs).
From Brigadier-General, the next rank is Major-General in the Army, Rear-Admiral in the Navy and Air-Vice Marshal in the Air Force. These are “Two-Star Generals.” Service Chiefs (Commanders) in Ghana are “Two-Star Generals,” just as Commandants in the training Institutions.
The head of the Ghana Armed Forces is a “Three-Star General.” In the Army, the rank is Lieutenant-General, the naval equivalent is Vice-Admiral while in the Air Force, it is Air-Marshal.
Discussion
From the day the officer is commissioned, he continues to study throughout his life to upgrade himself professionally. This is because the rank-structure is modelled on British lines and is international. We therefore train all over the world with officers of other countries. It is against this backdrop that the Ghana Armed Forces is highly respected on account of the high caliber of its officers, in spite of the coup stigma at home of 1966, 1972 and 1979/1981.
It has been said that, the Ghana Armed Forces does not stage coups as an institution like Pakistan and Myanmar (Burma). It is individual officers who do so for personal gain/reasons, and drag the reputable institution into disrepute.
Leadership, LEAD! Fellow Ghanaians, WAKE UP!
Brig Gen Dan Frimpong (Rtd)
Former CEO, African Peace Support Trainers Association
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