Photo By Capt. Mark Lazane | Armed Forces of Liberia’s Maj. Daniel Ziankahn, deputy to the assistant chief of...... read more read more
MONROVIA, Liberia — Seven Armed Forces of Liberia soldiers were promoted during a large promotion ceremony at Barclay Training Center, Monrovia, Liberia, Feb. 20.
A few days later, on a base not too far away, enlisted personnel at Camp Sandee Ware, Liberia, were similarly honored for their accomplishments during a mass promotion ceremony.
Similar gatherings took place at other AFL bases throughout the country, as 42 officers and 523 enlisted personnel in the AFL and Liberian Coast Guard were promoted during the most recent promotion cycle.
“The promotions are important because many of those promoted today were already serving in a capacity above that of their pay grade,” said AFL Lt. Col. Steve Darwo, assistant chief of staff for personnel at AFL headquarters.
“These promotions represent the commitment the people of Liberia have to the AFL. These officers and enlisted troops now have the rank to go along with the experience they are receiving within the AFL.”
Liberia is renewing its military strength following a prolonged civil war that lasted until 2006.
Following the war, the previous AFL was disbanded and a new army was formed to promote Liberian peacekeeping efforts throughout the West African region.
Currently, the AFL has approximately 2,000 personnel, to include an infantry brigade, a logistics command, a headquarters element, an engineering company, an armed forces training center and a Liberian Coast Guard.
All of these command elements necessitate having a young corps of officers and enlisted soldiers to successfully lead the next generation of military personnel, said Darwo.
“The AFL is growing,” said Darwo. “They are becoming a force for good for the Liberian people. The ones promoted today represent the growth that is occurring, and that will continue to occur, within the military ranks in the years to come. Those promoted help us increase our capacity for doing good here.”
The capacity building of the AFL is assisted by agreements with several partner nations, who share expertise, equipment and experience with their AFL counterparts. These organizations include the United Nations Mission in Liberia, the economic community of West African states and the United States.
UNMIL assists the AFL with building AFL engineering capacity.
ECOWAS provides regional officers who serve as mentors to AFL officers and enlisted personnel, providing experience and regional expertise to a dedicated but inexperienced AFL.
Finally, the United States, through its Liberian defense sector reform initiative, provides U.S. military mentors who collectively make up Operation Onward Liberty, a group of approximately 50 U.S. military personnel who mentor and advise the AFL in order to develop a national military that is responsible, operationally capable, respectful of civilian authority and the rule of law, and is a force for good among the Liberian people.
“These promotions show maturity and responsibility within the AFL,” said Dessaline Allison, headquarters AFL public affairs officer and chaplain who was one of the seven officers promoted at BTC. “It helps the public to know that the AFL is making progress towards being a capable force that can be trusted by the Liberian people. “We are making progress; we’re definitely no longer where we started from. These promotions boosted confidence among AFL members, they make us want to do our job more, they increase morale and they help us to know we are appreciated by the people of Liberia.”
| Date Taken: | 03.07.2012 |
| Date Posted: | 03.13.2012 03:41 |
| Story ID: | 85141 |
| Location: | MONROVIA, LR |
| Web Views: | 471 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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