Command changes at Artillery Training School

THE first-ever change of command ceremony at the Artillery Training School at the Akoefe Camp, near Ho, took place last Friday.

Lt Col Kwame Sam Appiah (right) handing over the Baton-of-Command to Lt Col Patrick Atuiri, while Brigadier-General Hagan looks on

Lt Col Kwame Sam Appiah who served as the school’s Commanding Officer for four-and-a-half years handed over the Baton-of-Command to Lt Col Patrick Atuiri, Staff Officer Grade One, from the Directorate of Training at the Army Headquarters in Accra.

The Guest of Honour was the Commander of the Army Training Command, Brigadier-General Kweku Dankwa Hagan.

He commended Lt Col Appiah for discharging his duties creditably as the premier Commanding Officer of the strategic institution which was established in 2014.

Tribute

Brigadier-General Hagan paid glowing tribute to Lt Col Appiah for his valiant role in the vigorous renovation of infrastructure at the school and the classification of artillery courses since he assumed command of the school in 2018 when it became operational.

He also praised Lt Col Appiah for his commitment to the institution of field exercises and the conduct of live firing exercises as part of the training at the school, and establishing cordial civil-military ties with the communities in the school’s area of responsibility.

Brigadier-General Hagan said plans were underway to asphalt the unit’s roads and the parade square.

The Commander of the Army Training Command entreated the new Commanding Officer of the training facility to constantly engage the relevant officers at the Command Level and to work diligently with the well-motivated gunners to lift the name of the Artillery Training School to greater heights.

Farewell

In a farewell message, Lt Col Appiah said the school had significantly improved its style of delivering courses and designed its work with a highly professional academic and technical approach to military education.

“The current students and past ones will attest to the fact that if you are not good academically, you have no place near our guns,” he added.

Lt Col Appiah said the Military High Commanded had recognised the rigorous training methods adopted by the Artillery Training School, and that it was a good foundation for further development in the quality and standard of training programmes by the school in the future.

Present at the ceremony were chiefs and queen mothers of Akoefe and Tanyigbe traditional areas and the Chief of Staff of the Ghana Boundary Commission, Brigadier-General D. D. Gbedawo.

The change of command, which took place amidst the sound of a 25-pounder artillery gun, was immediately followed by the ceremonial pulling-out of Lt Col Appiah from the school.