Soldiers must not wear their camouflage masks when in civilian attire

Soldiers must not wear their camouflage masks when in civilian attire – GDF

Apr 25, 2020 News

– General public similarly advised

Officers and ranks of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) have been instructed not to wear their camouflage masks when dressed in civilian attire. Members of the general public have also been advised not to do the same, since it is an offence to be in possession of or to wear any item of military issue.
Chief-of-Staff, Patrick West, in a release, stated that camouflage masks are military kit and must be treated as such. Anyone found doing such could be liable to a fine of $4875, $9750 or one month imprisonment.
Section 2 (1) of the Guyana Defence Force Uniforms Act clearly outlines, “No one who is not serving in the Guyana Defence Force may wear, without the Minister’s permission, the uniform of that force, or any dress having the appearance or bearing any of the regimental or other distinctive marks of that uniform.”
As such, the Army Chief is warning civilians against the wearing of the camouflage masks.
The act also highlights that provided that this enactment shall not prevent, “(a) any person from wearing the cast off uniform of any of that force if all regimental buttons and other regimental or distinctive marks are removed there from; or”
“(b) any person from wearing any uniform or dress in the course of a stage play performed in a place duly licensed or authorised for the public performance of stage plays, or in the course of private theatricals, or at any fancy dress ball, or in the course of a music hall or circus performance, or in the course of any military representation in good faith.”
“(2) No one may lawfully sell, or dispose of to any other person, not serving in the Guyana Defence Force, the uniform of any of that force, except for the purposes mentioned in paragraph (b) of the proviso to subsection (1), unless all regimental buttons and other regimental or distinctive marks are first removed there from.”
“(3) Anyone who contravenes this section shall be liable to a fine of four thousand eight hundred and seventy-five dollars [$4,875].”
Section 3 of the Guyana Defence Force Uniforms Act outlines the penalties for anyone who brings contempt upon the uniform.
The act states that “anyone not serving in the Guyana Defence Force who wears, without the Minister’s permission, the uniform of that force, or any dress having the appearance or bearing any of the regimental or other distinctive marks of that uniform, in such a manner or in such circumstances as to be likely to bring contempt upon that uniform or employs any other person so to wear that uniform or dress shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine of nine thousand seven hundred and fifty dollars [$9,750] or to imprisonment for one month.”