Alumni of Guyana Defence Force Officer Cadet Course Number Six will begin commemorating the 50th anniversary of one of the most historically significant military training programmes in Guyana’s post-Independence history beginning Saturday, May 16, 2026.
The anniversary celebrations will honour a course that emerged during one of the most volatile and uncertain periods in modern Guyanese history — a time when territorial threats from both Venezuela and Suriname forced the young nation to rapidly strengthen its military capability and national defense infrastructure.
The Guyana Defence Force (GDF) was officially established on November 1, 1965, months before Guyana attained Independence from Britain in 1966. Replacing the British Guiana Volunteer Force, the GDF was created to defend Guyana’s sovereignty and territorial integrity during a period marked by regional tensions and border controversies with Venezuela and Suriname. In the years following Independence, the force evolved into what was widely referred to as the “People’s Army,” playing a central role in both national security and nation-building.
According to a release issued to the media, by May 1976 Guyana’s territorial integrity faced mounting pressure following Venezuela’s seizure of Ankoko Island and increasing border tensions with Suriname. The government responded by expanding the Guyana Defence Force, increasing manpower and resources, and accelerating the training of officers and ranks.
“Learning from its unpreparedness at the time of the seizure of Ankoko Island, the Guyana government embarked on enlarging the GDF; providing it with more money and manpower. More officers and men were needed; GDF Officer Cadet Course Number 6 became the largest Officer Cadet Course ever assembled by the GDF,” the release stated.
The course also broke historic ground socially and institutionally. It marked the first time in Guyana — and reportedly anywhere in the English-speaking Caribbean — that male and female officer cadets trained together under the same standards.
The release noted that prior to 1976 “there was no co-ed military training in Guyana or anywhere in the anglophone Caribbean.”
Among the trailblazers was Joyce Smith, who became the first indigenous female officer in the history of the Guyana Defence Force.
The milestone came against the backdrop of wider international developments surrounding women’s rights. The United Nations had designated 1975 as International Women’s Year, leading to a global conference in Mexico City focused on advancing women’s rights worldwide. In Guyana, a State Paper on the equality of women was presented in the National Assembly on January 15, 1976, helping set the stage for major changes within the military and broader society.
On May 16, 1976, sixty-six cadets — including nine women and fifty-seven men — reported to Camp Ayanganna for the start of Officer Cadet Course Six.
The nine female cadets — Ingrid King, Jasoda Kishun, Verian Mentis, Marilyn Pestano, Paulette Polard, Bridgette Smith, Joyce Smith, Yvonne Smith and Marlyn Telford — were described in the release as “trailblazers” whose participation transformed military training norms in Guyana.
The course unfolded during a period of heightened geopolitical instability. In addition to worsening relations with Venezuela and Suriname, Guyana remained haunted by the legacy of the 1969 Rupununi uprising, when separatist elements backed by Venezuela attempted to establish an “Essequibo Free State” in the Rupununi region.
The release recalled that troops from the Guyana Defence Force moved swiftly to suppress the rebellion after armed insurgents seized Lethem and surrounding areas on January 2, 1969.
“This was the backdrop against which training began, as members of GDF Officer Cadet Course Number Six were systematically prepared to safeguard our nation,” the release stated. “In 1976, every member of the Guyana Defence Force understood the responsibility of being called upon at any moment to defend Guyana.”
The course concluded on December 17, 1976, with forty-five cadets successfully graduating. Six of the original nine female cadets graduated as Second Lieutenants: Jasoda Kishun, Verian Mentis, Paulette Pollard, Brigette Smith, Joyce Smith and Marlyn Telford.
“These six women made history and will forever hold the distinction of being the first female Cadets to complete an Officer Cadet Course conducted by the Guyana Defence Force,” the release noted.
Organisers said the Golden Jubilee celebrations will begin with a private cocktail reception on Saturday, followed by a public church service at Christ Church Anglican Church on Waterloo Street, Georgetown, on Sunday, May 17.
Later that day, alumni of Course Six will attend a military tattoo at Base Camp Ayanganna hosted by Chief of Defence Staff Omar Khan.
A series of commemorative activities is planned over the next seven months, with organizers indicating that a full calendar of events will be released shortly.
The anniversary observances also coincide with Guyana approaching its 60th Independence Anniversary, prompting renewed reflection on the formative role played by the Guyana Defence Force during the country’s early post-Independence years.
The release described the GDF of that era as “the People’s Army,” still developing its identity while confronting external threats, economic pressures, and Cold War-era geopolitical tensions linked to Guyana’s socialist orientation and diplomatic ties with Cuba.
Later in 1976, the region was shaken by the bombing of Cubana Flight 455 bombing off the coast of Barbados, which killed all 73 passengers, including eleven Guyanese.
Reflecting on the significance of the cadets’ decision to serve during such a turbulent period, the release concluded: “This was that moment in time when nine women and fifty-seven men stepped forward and marched into history. Today 50 years later we are here, we are still standing.”
