The Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Training Corps has graduated eleven Grade Three Medical Assistants following thirty weeks of intensive theoretical and practical training.
Drawn from various units across the Force, the ranks received instruction in a wide range of medical disciplines, including basic life support and first aid, human anatomy and physiology, clinical nursing, microbiology and diseases, pharmacology, internal medicine, and field sanitation. The programme culminated with a practical attachment at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation, where students were afforded the opportunity to apply their knowledge in a clinical environment.
The course was directed by Lieutenant Colonel Dr Nigel Langhorne and delivered by a team of experienced medical professionals drawn from a range of specialties. The instructional staff included Senior Instructors Major Dr Shawn Legall and Dr Lequita Price who were also present at the graduation ceremony held on Friday, June 5, 2026.
Supporting the delivery of the programme were several members of the Force’s medical services, whose expertise and practical experience contributed significantly to the training. Among them were Warrant Officer Class Two Seon Duncan, Staff Sergeants Ronic Carter and Shemicka Devonish, and Sergeant Gerelda Jeffery. Chief Instructor Sergeant Nichola La Rose was supported by Assistant Instructors Sergeants Melisa Jhulu-Livan and Nickel Charles, as well as Corporals Rondell Garnett, Teneisha Cort, and Courtney Lewis.
Having successfully completed the course, the graduates are now equipped with the skills and competencies required to provide essential medical support within the GDF, whether serving at Base Medical Centres or deployed alongside operational units across the country.
Delivering the feature address, Commander of 3 Infantry Battalion, Lieutenant Colonel (Lt Col) Dominic Shepherd, commended the graduates for their dedication and perseverance throughout the demanding programme, while underscoring the vital role they will play in supporting the health, welfare, and operational readiness of their fellow soldiers.
“You have embraced the academic demands, mastered the practical skills, and demonstrated the professionalism required of those who will stand at the frontline of soldier care,” he said. “These are not small achievements. They represent the foundation of trust that your comrades will place in you. When a soldier is injured, ill, or vulnerable, it is you who will be called upon. Your training has prepared you not only to act, but to act with competence, calm, and compassion.”
Lt Col Shepherd further urged the graduates to uphold the standards instilled throughout their training as they assume their new responsibilities within the Force. “As you return to your units, whether to a Base Medical Centre or a deployed sub-unit, carry with you the discipline, humility, and sense of duty that this course has instilled. Remember that your role is not merely technical. It is moral. It is human. It is essential to the operational effectiveness of the GDF,” he charged.
Among the awardees, Lance Corporal Gadwell Grant of 3 Infantry Battalion was named Best Graduating Student and Best Student in Internal Medicine. Lance Corporal Anastasha Ward of 1 Infantry Battalion received the awards for Runner-up Student and Best Student in Clinical Nursing, while Lance Corporal Aquil Williams of Base Camp Stephenson was recognised as Best Student in First Aid.
