The Guards Batallion and the Gambia Armed Forces Training School, on Wednesday 9th September, 2009 decorated the non-commissioned officers at a ceremony held at the Fajara Barracks.

While one of them was decorated to the rank of warrant officer class one (WO1), twelve were decorated to the rank of warrant officer class two (WO2), seven to the rank of staff sergeant, twenty-eight to the rank of corporal and eight to the rank of lance corporal.

The 194 decorated men and women under the command of Cpt. Alkali Dibba, took part in a march past to grace the event. Addressing the promoted soldiers, the Army Chief of Staff Brigadier General Yakuba Drammeh, on behalf of the chief of Defence Staff, congratulated the soldiers, describing the event as pre-requisite. He renewed his call for the men and women to be security conscious, noting that alertness in the military is vital. He reminded the soldiers that elevation in the ranks implies elevation in responsibilities, and that promoting is reciprocal.

According to the Army Chief of Staff, promotion implies redoubling of efforts, urging the soldiers to value their promotion as  authentic. He re-iterated his call for collective efforts and discipline, describing the two as the bedrock of achievement. Dilating on the cordial relations between the civilians and the military, Brigadier General Drammeh advised the soldiers to work hand in glove with civilians and to excecute their military functions without fear or favour.

He further expressed zero tolerance to uncalled behaviour, emphasising that anyone found doing so, will be dealt with according to the principles of the Gambia Armed Forces. The Brigadier General urged them to consider their comrades who are yet to be promoted, adding that all cannot be promoted at once. He described the yet promoted men and women as hard working people whose time for elevation in the ranks will soon be riped. For his part, the commanding officer of Guards Batallion, Lt Col, Aurthur Gomez, commended the soldiers for a job well done, noting that promotion in The Gambia Armed Forces is based on hard work, discipline and more so loyalty.The opposite of the three, he said, is not accepted in the army.

Lt Col. Gomez reminded them to do their best in order to leave a positive legacy, adding that the good words of people are the good words of God which denotes that they should be ready to listen to the advice of the people and take the good parts of it. Staff Sergeant Samba Kebbeh, on behalf of the newly decorated soldiers advised his colleages to remain loyal noting that its opposite has no room in the Gambia Armed Forces.