President's Own Guard Regiment
Encyclopedia
The President's Own Guard Regiment is an infantry
regiment
of the Ghanaian Army
.
The regiment was founded in 1960 as the Presidential Guard Regiment following Ghana's
independence, when Kwame Nkrumah
increased the Presidential Bodyguard from a company
to a full regiment. Initially, it was made up of soldiers who had become unfit for operational service, and was intended to act as a ceremonial unit. However, following attempts on his life, Nkrumah ordered that the regiment be expanded and reinforced, renaming it as the President's Own Guard Regiment, and bringing it under the direct control of the Presidential Detail Department. In 1965, the regiment was removed from the command structure of the army, being accountable directly to the President. By February 1966, the regiment consisted of two battalions and almost 1,200 officers and men, trained by Soviet advisers. Because of the regiment's status (it was better trained, equipped, paid and clothed than the regular army), significant resentment was directed at its members, which led to violence directed against it by the army during the coup that overthrew Nkrumah. After this, the regiment was reintegrated into the Ghanaian Army.
Today, the regiment consists of a single battalion
. The regiment's primary function remains as a bodyguard to the President of Ghana
and to defend the Presidential Palace in Accra
.
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
regiment
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
of the Ghanaian Army
Military of Ghana
The Ghana Armed Forces consists of the Army, Navy, and the Air Force. It is supervised by the Ministry of Defence . With around 7,000 personnel serving in the Ghanian military, Ghana has the lowest ratio of active troops per thousand citizens in the world, standing at 0.33. However, the Ghanaian...
.
The regiment was founded in 1960 as the Presidential Guard Regiment following Ghana's
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
independence, when Kwame Nkrumah
Kwame Nkrumah
Kwame Nkrumah was the leader of Ghana and its predecessor state, the Gold Coast, from 1952 to 1966. Overseeing the nation's independence from British colonial rule in 1957, Nkrumah was the first President of Ghana and the first Prime Minister of Ghana...
increased the Presidential Bodyguard from a company
Company (military unit)
A company is a military unit, typically consisting of 80–225 soldiers and usually commanded by a Captain, Major or Commandant. Most companies are formed of three to five platoons although the exact number may vary by country, unit type, and structure...
to a full regiment. Initially, it was made up of soldiers who had become unfit for operational service, and was intended to act as a ceremonial unit. However, following attempts on his life, Nkrumah ordered that the regiment be expanded and reinforced, renaming it as the President's Own Guard Regiment, and bringing it under the direct control of the Presidential Detail Department. In 1965, the regiment was removed from the command structure of the army, being accountable directly to the President. By February 1966, the regiment consisted of two battalions and almost 1,200 officers and men, trained by Soviet advisers. Because of the regiment's status (it was better trained, equipped, paid and clothed than the regular army), significant resentment was directed at its members, which led to violence directed against it by the army during the coup that overthrew Nkrumah. After this, the regiment was reintegrated into the Ghanaian Army.
Today, the regiment consists of a single battalion
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
. The regiment's primary function remains as a bodyguard to the President of Ghana
President of Ghana
The President of Ghana is the elected head of state and head of government of Ghana. Officially styled President of the Republic of Ghana and Commander-in-Chief of the Ghanaian Armed Forces. The current President of Ghana is Prof. John Atta Mills, who took office in January...
and to defend the Presidential Palace in Accra
Accra
Accra is the capital and largest city of Ghana, with an urban population of 1,658,937 according to the 2000 census. Accra is also the capital of the Greater Accra Region and of the Accra Metropolitan District, with which it is coterminous...
.