A total 11 officers, 53 officer cadets, and a soldier, who have completed their para commando training course, have been presented with their wings at a graduation ceremony at the Airborne Force in Tamale.
The graduates, who undertook the training for seven weeks, were presented with the newest wing of the Airborne Force, which is a logo of the Unit, qualifying the badge of a trained parachutist.
Objectives of the training included developing participants' ability to endure and undertake protracted airborne operations, enhancing their craft in close quarter combat, ability to negotiate difficult obstacles and developing fitness, mental robustness and bodily coordination.
The course, being the first to take place in the last 10 years, was structured into the phases of medical screening, pre-para selection or the selection commando phase, graduation training and the live decent phases.
Lieutenant Colonel (Lt Col) Antwi Awuah Darkwa, Commanding Officer of the 69 Airborne Force, speaking at the ceremony congratulated the instructors and graduates for completing the para commando training section of the Ghana Military Academy.
Lt. Col. Darkwa said the para commando training had been part of the packages for the Officer Cadets' training in the Ghana Military Academy designed to make soldiers confident, courageous, determined and cheerful in the face of adversity.
Brigadier General Francis Ofori, General Officer Commanding the Northern Command, commended the officers for completing the training saying, the Ghana Armed Forces could only rely on person with such tough training as para commandos to avert regional threats.
Brigadier General Ofori urged the graduates to maintain the fitness they received bearing in mind that the profession was risky but more honourable and rewarding.
Ms Mabel Affum Nsiah, an Officer Cadet, said as a lady, the para commando training was tough so much that she almost gave up but for focus and determination, she sailed through and encouraged everyone, who had the ambition of joining the academy to be determined.
Mr Godwin Yaw Anyah, an Officer Cadet said the training had given him more skills and confidence, which was enough to see him through the Military Academy given the fact that the para commando training was the most difficult section of the military training.