The Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) is the state military organisation of Ghana, consisting of the Army (GA), Navy (GN), and Ghana Air Force.
The Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces are the armed forces of Sierra Leone, responsible for the territorial security of Sierra Leone's borders and defending the national interests of Sierra Leone, within the framework of the 1991 Sierra Leone Constitution and International laws. The armed forces were formed after independence in 1961, on the basis of elements of the former British Royal West African Frontier Force, then present in the Sierra Leone Colony and Protectorate.
A commander-in-chief or supreme commander is the person who exercises supreme command and control over an armed force or a military branch. As a technical term, it refers to military competencies that reside in a country's executive leadership, a head of state, head of government, or other designated government official.
The Ghana Army is the principal land warfare force of Ghana. In 1959, two years after the Gold Coast became independent from the British Empire, the Gold Coast Regiment was withdrawn from the Royal West African Frontier Force and formed the basis for the new Ghanaian army. Together with the Ghana Air Force and Ghana Navy, the Ghana Army makes up the Ghana Armed Forces, which is controlled by the Ghanaian Ministry of Defence and Central Defence Headquarters, both of which are located in the Greater Accra Region.
Lieutenant General Joseph Boateng Danquah was the twenty-seventh Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) of the Ghana Armed Forces.
Lieutenant General Seth Kofi Obeng is a former Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) of the Ghana Armed Forces. He was once also the Commander of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon. He is also a special adviser on African Union matters to the President of Ghana.
The Ghana Navy (GN) is the naval warfare organizational military branch of the Ghanaian Armed Forces (GAF). The Ghanaian Navy, along with the Ghanaian Army (GA) and Ghanaian Air Force (GHF), make up the Ghanaian Armed Forces (GAF) which are controlled by the Ghanaian Ministry of Defence (MoD).
Rear Admiral David Animle Hansen was a Ghanaian naval officer who served as Chairman of the Greater Accra Regional Administrative Committee from 1966 to 1967 in the National Liberation Council regime and as Commander of the Ghana Navy from 1962 to 1967. He was the first Ghanaian to be appointed head of the Ghana Navy. Hansen was also the founding director of the National Vocational Training Institute, and held this office from 1970 to 1980.
The Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS) is the most senior appointment in the Sri Lankan Armed Forces, and the highest-ranking military officer in service, outranking the heads of each service branch. The CDS does not, however, have operational command authority over service branches, but rather oversees inter-service co-operation and develops and implements the joint operations doctrine of the Sri Lankan armed forces. Coordination of inter-service joint operations are handled by the Office of the Chief of the Defence Staff, formally known as the Joint Operations Headquarters.
The chief of defence staff (CDS) is the head of the Nigerian Armed Forces and the most senior uniformed military adviser to the minister of defence and the president of Nigeria. The chief of the defence staff is based at the Defence Headquarters, Abuja and works alongside the permanent secretary of defence.
Major General Sir Victor Paley, KBE, CB, DSO, DL (1903–1976) was a British Army officer. In addition, he was seconded to the Ghana Army, to become the first Chief of the Defence Staff of the dominion of Ghana.
Major General Stephen Joseph Asamoa Otu was a former Chief of the Defence Staff of the Ghana Armed Forces. He was the first Ghanaian officer to serve in this capacity.
Emmanuel Alexander Erskine was a Ghanaian military officer and politician. He was a Chief of Army Staff of the Ghana Army. He was also a commander of the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO) and the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).
Major General Alfred Claude Nelson-Williams, GCOR is a retired Major General in the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF). Nelson-Williams previously served as Chief of Defense Staff for Sierra Leone from 2008 to 2010.
The National Defence College, located in New Delhi, is the defence service training institute and highest seat of strategic learning for officers of the Defence Service and the Civil Services. This is a very prestigious course attended only by a few hand-picked defence officers of One-Star rank and civil servants of the rank of Joint secretary to the Government of India. Each year, approximately 25 officers from friendly foreign countries like the US, UK, Canada, France, Germany, Australia, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Nepal, UAE and others attend the course.
Vice Admiral Mathew Quashie was a Ghanaian naval officer and was the twenty-ninth Chief of Defence Staff of the Ghana Armed Forces. He also served as the Chief of Naval Staff of the Ghana Navy from 3 April 2009 to 28 March 2013.
Lieutenant General Winston Mensa-Wood was a former Ghanaian military officer and served as the twenty-third Chief of Defence Staff of the Ghana Armed Forces from June 1990 to March 1992. He took over from Lieutenant General Arnold Quainoo but died in office. He was replaced by Air Marshal Achilles Harry Kwami Dumashie. Prior to that, he was Chief of Army Staff from 1987 to 1990.
Lieutenant General Ben Akafia is a retired Ghanaian military officer and served as the Chief of Defence Staff of the Ghana Armed Forces from October 1996 to February 2001. He took over from Air Marshal Achilles Harry Kwami Dumashie and handed over to Lieutenant General Seth Kofi Obeng. He was appointed in 2001 as Ghana's Ambassador to Egypt. He was awarded the National Honour of Member of the Order of the Star of Ghana (MSG) by the President of Ghana on 6 January 2001. He has five sons and a daughter.
Lieutenant General Obed Boamah Akwa is a retired Ghanaian military officer who served as the Chief of the Defence Staff of the Ghana Armed Forces from February 2017 to February 2021. Prior to his appointment, he was the Chief of Army Staff of the Ghana Armed Forces.
Lieutenant General Thomas Oppong-Peprah is a Ghanaian military officer who is currently Chief of the Defence Staff of the Ghana Armed Forces. His appointment to the position by President Akuffo-Addo was announced on 24 January 2024 to take effect from 1 February, 2024. He took over from Seth Amoama. Oppong-Peprah also serves as a member of the Governing council of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO).
