Joy2theWorld Cadet Corps went for a visit at Burma Camp on Monday, 7th March 2022. It was Ghana’s Republic Holiday (Independence Day).
A Cadet Corps is an officer trainee or candidate/student. Often it refers to those training to become an officer in the Military. Also, a person who is a junior trainee in this voluntary organization, is motivated to pursue a career in the Armed Forces, Air Force, etc.
It also aims to develop qualities of character, discipline, teamwork, leadership and adventure in the students. The Corps organizes outdoor activities, such as camping, trekking, mountain climbing, swimming etc.
Burma Camp is the headquarters of the Ghana Armed Forces and the Ghanaian Ministry of Defense. The Camp is in Greater Accra, the capital city of Ghana. The Camp retains notoriety and fear from previous Ghanaian Military Regimes, when civilians who entered the Camp might not re-emerge.
What the Cadets learnt from the visit:
- The trainees learnt that, the 48 Military Engineering Regiment are the soldiers who are the carpenters, masons, shoe makers, doctors, engineers, and many other professions.
- Everything in their camp is manufactured by the soldiers themselves, they do not employ outsiders to work for them.
- The camp has a Square which they march and do all their exercises on. The Squares have been named after their COs (Commanding Officers) both dead and alive officers.
- The Squares are not to be walk on, they either run, jog or march on it, and if you are found walking on it you will be punished.
- The Square they train or exercise on is called Military Academy of Training School or PT Square (Physical Training Square)
- There is a particular place in the camp called ‘Mess’; that place is where they dine and must sit in assigned groups. They have Warrant Officers (WOs), Commanding Officers (COs) Mess.
- The children learnt that, without the 48 Military Engineering Regiment, the soldiers cannot go to War, because they are the military people who have the equipment and the ammunition.
- The camp has carriers that provide equipment when the soldiers go to war and when they are short of equipment or ammunition. The carriers will send some equipment or ammunition to them on the war front to continue their mission.
- And every carrier is named after its speed, such as: Achimota Class Fast Attack Craft, GNS (Ghana Naval Ship) Anzone P30, GNS Bonsu (P31), and The Naval Ship Stephen Otu (P33).
- The children also found some lay down sacks which contain sand in them, that is what the soldiers used to hide behind to prevent any attack from their enemies or opponents.