| Ghana Military Academy (GMA) | |
| Motto: | Service·Devotion·Sacrifice[1] |
| Established: | 1960 |
| Type: | Military Academy |
| Head Label: | Commandant |
| Head: | Brigadier General Charles Agyemang Prempeh;[2] |
| City: | Teshie |
| State: | Accra |
| Country: | Ghana |
| Campus: | Whistler Barracks |
| Colors: | Green and White |
The Ghana Military Academy is the military academy of the Ghana Armed Forces. It offers basic military training to officer cadets from the Ghana Army, Ghana Navy and the Ghana Air Force.[3] The academy is based in Teshie in the Greater Accra Region.
Entrance to the academy is by examination, and the curriculum includes military and general subjects.[4] Duration of the course for army cadets is two years. At the end of the first six months, a few candidates may be selected to finish their studies at foreign institutions such as the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst in Britain. The Ghana Military Academy, established in 1960, also provides short courses in higher military education for the officers of the three services.
The Ghana Military Academy (GMA) was founded on April 1, 1960, following years of dependence on foreign military academies to train Ghanaian officers for the armed forces. The Academy evolved from the Regular Officers Special Training Schools (ROSTS), which were established at MATS, Teshie, in 1953.[5] [6]
ROSTS provided six months of preparatory training for selected cadets from British West African colonies, including Nigeria, the Gold Coast, Sierra Leone, and The Gambia, before sending them to the UK or other countries for further officer training and commissioning. In 1961, the Ghanaian government arranged for a Joint Military Training Team from Britain and Canada to assist with training until qualified Ghanaian personnel could take over. Thus, the Academy had a combination of British, Canadian, and Ghanaian staff until this support ended in 1974.
Since then, the Academy has been staffed entirely by Ghanaians, who continue to develop capable leaders for the Ghana Armed Forces and other neighboring African nations such as Benin, Burkina Faso, Guinea, The Gambia, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Togo, and Uganda. Over 5,500 Ghanaian officers have graduated from the Academy since its inception, with some having retired and others currently serving in various roles within the armed forces and the broader society. The first commissioning ceremony took place on September 30, 1961, for 35 officer cadets, which included 14 from Intake 1 and 21 from Intake 2.[7]
At the request of the Ghanaian government, the British government assigned an officer at a time for two-year duty tours to help implement a revised course syllabus for the Regular Officer Training Programme. The last British Military Assistance Team officer departed in December 1994, concluding ten years of training support. The Ghana Armed Forces expresses its gratitude for the significant assistance received from the British and Canadian governments in developing the Academy into a premier training institution.[8]
In 2010, the Academy celebrated its Golden Jubilee, marking a significant milestone with various events, culminating in a parade reviewed by His Excellency Prof. John Evans Atta Mills, President of Ghana and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. Notable attendees included three former Heads of State—Presidents Yakubu Gowon and Olusegun Obasanjo from Nigeria and President Jerry John Rawlings of Ghana, all of whom are Academy alumni.[9]
Another important change has been the increase in educational requirements for entry into the Academy, raising the minimum qualification from a senior high school certificate to a first degree.[10]
Currently, GMA offers two courses: the Regular Career Course (RCC) and the Short Service Commission/Special Duties Course (SSC/SD). The training duration has been adjusted from 22 months to 15 months for the RCC and from 8 months to 6 months for the SSC/SD in line with this policy change. Additionally, a Special Medical Intake (SMI) is occasionally conducted to address staffing shortages in the Ghana Armed Forces Medical Services.[11]
The mission of the Ghana Military Academy is to produce leaders of character for the defence of Ghana.[12]
1.To give the Officer Cadet a broad view of the military profession as a whole, and his responsibility as a servant of his State.
2. To develop in the Officer Cadet the spirit of patriotism, loyalty to and love for his nation.
3. To develop in the Officer Cadet the essential military characteristics of leadership and management, sense of discipline and sense of duty.
4. To develop physical fitness in the Officer Cadet.
5. To lay down the foundation of military and academic knowledge upon which the studies of future arms of Service can be built.[13]
The National and GMA Colours were presented to the Academy on 17 August,1985 on the occasion of the school's Silver Jubilee by then Commander in Chief, former President Jerry John Rawlings. The colours were received on behalf of the unit by then Cadet Sergeant Gyasensir Christopher, now Brig Gen Christopher Gyasensi, Ghana's Defence Attache to South Africa, and Cadet Sergeant Major Aryee Moses, also now Brig Gen Moses Mohammed Aryee (Rtd), the immediate Past General Officer, commanding Northern command. The colours were presented during the time of Regular Career Course 25 and Short Service Course 24.
The Ghana Military Academy Parade square was completed on 15th September 2020 as part of the Ghana Military Academy upgrade project. The space was formerly a decorated fountain and flag post for the forecourt of the Old Officer Cadets Mess.
The Sword of Honour is the personal sword of the late Col Emmanuel Osei Owusu of Regular Career Course I and the first Senior Under Officer (SUO) of the Academy. Throughout his life, he was affectionately called SUO Osei Owusu. He was the Parade Commander of the first graduation parade held for RCC intakes 1 and 2 and was presented with the sword of Honour for emerging as the overall best cadet during his training. He donated the sword to GMA on the occasion of the Silver Jubilee. Anniversary of the Academy in 1985. The sword is now used by graduation parade commanders and then returned to a vault in the ante room after the parade.
The Ghana Military Academy has in overall command a Commandant, usually an officer of the rank of Major General or equivalent. After him is a Deputy Commandant of the rank Brigadier-General (Brig-Gen) or equivalent. The Academy Sergeant Major (ASM), is a Master Warrant Officer or equivalent.
The Academy runs the following courses for cadets:
a. Standard Military Course (SMC) which is for 24 weeks.
The SMC is a tri-Service Course. It involves a minimum of 24 weeks of basic military training (this includes 6 weeks Induction Training referred to as Ginger Period). Cadets are required to Pass-Off the Square after completion of the induction period. The transition from SMC to RCC will be marked by a Change of Status Parade.[14]
b. Regular Career Course (RCC) which is for 48 weeks.
The RCC is a 48-week special service training phase of the course.Unlike some other national military academies such as West Point in the United States, the Royal Military College of Canada in Canada or the Nigerian Defence Academy in Nigeria, GMA is not a university. Prospective Cadets as a requirement must already possess a Bachelors degree it follows directly from the SMC until graduation.[15]
The Cadet body is organised into a Cadet Battalion which is commanded by a Commanding Officer Cadet Battalion who is responsible through the Course Commanders and the Svc Chief Instructors for training and administration of the cadet body. They are assisted by Officers Commanding, Course Officers, Platoon Commanders and Platoon Non Commissioned Officers.
The cadet body is divided into companies for administrative and training purposes. Officers Commanding, Course Officers, Platoon Commanders, CSMs and Platoon Non Commissioned Officers are assigned to each company as follows:
a. The companies are designated Abyssinia, Burma, Chiringa, and when required Duala. For the ease of instruction, field training/exercises, command and control, cadets are further organised into Platoons. Each Platoon's strength is not more than 35 cadets. The platoons are designated 1st Platoon, 2nd Platoon, 3rd Platoon, 4th Platoon in that order.
b. Irrespective of the Course or Intake, cadets are assigned to companies upon entry into the Academy. Membership of company may change from time to time due to changes in strengths, appointments, or other exigencies.