GAF holds Open Day

Accra, March 8, GNA - A rabbitry project started in 2003, by the Support Services Brigade of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) at the Burma Camp with three rabbits, now has 247, augmenting the protein supply needs of the forces and the public.

Staff Sgt Adu Yaw Francis, officer in charge of the rabbitry said 10 million cedis released to the Support Services for the project had made the expansion possible.

Speaking to journalists at the project site on Monday as part of this year's Open Day Celebration of the GAF, Staff Sgt Francis said the rearing of guinea pigs on a pilot basis had been added to the project, which he said had started to run on commercial basis and that the rearing of grass-cutters would also soon start.

The rabbits feed on maize and wheat bran, but a potato farm has been cultivated and the leaves are also used to feed the rodents. The 2005 Armed Forces Open Day was the fifth in the series to showcase the GAF and generally enhance civil military relations and also to create a platform to help the citizenry to understand the life of the service person.

The celebration also formed part of activities marking Ghana's 48th Independence Anniversary celebrations.

Starting with a bus ride from the Elwak Stadium, it was all excitement as the journalists, schools children, some accompanied by their parents and students enjoyed flights in some helicopters of the GAF at the Air Force Base to have an aerial view of some parts of Accra. Other sections the school children and other members of the public visited were Reconnaissance (Recce) Regiment where the army's guests were given a ride in armoured vehicles and briefed on the mode of operations of the unit as well as the Gallery (Shooting) Range at Teshie.

A number of residents at the Barracks looked on with admiration as the civilians placed their heads above the large outlets on the armoured vehicles and observed the outside world.

Some press photographers, with their cameras on their shoulders also sat on the armed cars and fired their shots to capture the interesting scenes.

The Commandant of the Recce Regiment, Lt Col Reginald Odoi explained that the Regiment was the cutting edge of the Armed Forces, concerned primarily with land combats.

Col Odoi said the Military was the pillar of society, serving to quarantine society against aggression through peacekeeping, ensuring internal security and protecting the integrity of the nation. At the Military Academy and Training School (MATS), soldiers took the visitors through a shooting practice in an exercise at the Teshie Gallery (Shooting) Range.

A number of students and the journalists tried their hands on firing the rifles in the mock exercise, which was carried out under the instruction of Captain Richard Abalansah.