Guyana’s military has a problem

Apr 04, 2018 Features / Columnists, Peeping Tom

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This past Easter weekend, the bullet-riddled body of a mother was left lifeless on a city street after an alleged incident said to involve an officer of the Guyana Defence Force. The incident has left many people in shock and wondering how an incident like this could involve a member of the Disciplined Services.
Guyanese need to exit their state of delusion. The reality is that throughout the history of Guyana’s army, there have been disturbing incidents of violence and criminality involving its ranks and ex-ranks. Yet, for some inexplicable reason, there are persons in the public who believe that these acts of violence are aberrations and not a cause for concern for the military.
Last year, Stabroek News columnist Allan Fenty related how former Commissioner of Police, Laurie Lewis, produced a list of persons from within the army who were involved in criminal activities. Perhaps Lewis was trying to demonstrate that the army is not necessarily better than the police when it comes to abiding by the law.
Fenty produced a list of dangerous criminals who were former members of the Guyana Defence Force. They ranged from Eye-lash to Blackie London. In a similar column entitled “Old army, new GDF” written 15 years ago, Fenty had provided a shortlist of notorious and dangerous criminals who had previously served in Guyana’s army. These included, “Henry Sumner, `Eyelash” – shot dead by police, Orson Benn, “Jungle Commando”, shot dead by police; Godfrey Smith – Soldier” – in prison for murder, Cecil Albert Mc Donald, “Beast” – shot dead by police; Linden London, “Blackie”, shot dead after siege by Joint Forces; Michael Craig, shot dead by New York police; Andrew Douglas – then at large; Trevor Brooks, Maurice Connelly , etc – etc – etc. “
The army, therefore, has always been faced with a problem. But it has not sought to address the problem as to whether there is a link between the training or lack of training and the criminal predisposition of many of its ranks.
Last year was another bad year for GDF. Two of its ranks were placed before the courts for choke-and-rob. Two others for stealing ration. Three ranks were remanded on murder charges, one for rape, another for a multimillion-dollar heist and another for trafficking in narcotics. One rank was arrested after a child was found in possession of a flash grenade.
The question has to be asked as to why army ranks and ex-ranks have been featuring in the news so often for the wrong reasons. Which other institution has seen so many of its employees and ex-employees implicated in unlawful conduct?
If the embarrassing indiscretions in 2017, and what has since followed in 2018, are not cause enough for concern within the army, then nothing ever will be. The army has a problem. It needs to address this problem and not pretend that it does not exist.
The army has to make an assessment as to why it is producing such a higher number of ranks and ex-ranks whose conduct are unbecoming. Is it that the nature of the training is responsible? Or is it the lack of training?
Is it that when persons leave the army they are not equipped to deal with civilian life after such a prolonged period in a command-styled institution? Or is the army recruiting the wrong persons? Is it that the recruitment policies of the army are so flawed that too many criminally-inclined persons are gaining admission into the army?
Psychological testing must become compulsory for entrants into Guyana’s military. This testing must be done to ensure that those who enter the army have the right attitude. It makes no sense employing someone with the right physical and educational attributes, but whose attitude is going to embarrass the army. Psychological testing is one way of ensuring that there is an objective process of assessing the attitude and pre-dispositions of recruits.
Many large companies today are placing greater weight on psychological testing of employees, because they know that a worker with the wrong attitude can do greater harm than an unqualified and inexperienced worker. It is easier to train an unqualified and inexperienced worker than it is to undo the poor attitude of workers.
Psychological testing must also be done on all ranks, including junior and senior ranks, commissioned and non-commissioned officers. Junior ranks leave the force at age 45 years. They should do so free of any psychological trauma which may be linked to the way they were treated within the army.
The army can no longer ignore the headlines in the newspapers about its ranks. And while it would be unfair to generalize aberrations onto the entire army, the large number of unsavory incidents involving military and ex-military personnel is a cause of worry as to whether Guyana has a deformed military.

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