Again, the British Army which uses similar kits were the best teachers at that time. It was quite appropriate at that stage of, our historical development, to have British instructors, advisers and even commanders to help the GDF on its feet. Inevitably, they brought with them the inalienable customs, habits and behaviour of the British Civilisation and these could not be considered in all circumstances to be reconcilable with the aspirations of a newly independent people, struggling and fighting against the very attitudes and prejudices that had kept Guiana a British colony for 163 years. If some officers and soldiers inculcated the culture of the British military establishment then it was a part of the price the backward and under-developed world must pay for learning to make use of the technology and equipment of the advanced, developed, industrialised world; a price that could be redeemed later only by a ideological re-orientation programme. The British never pretended or attempted to conduct political education in the GDF one way or the other. They did however leave the clearly recognisable imprint of their unmistakable life-style on a lot of open, willing and blank minds and it was only much later that the inexorable waves of political consciousness were able to eradicate some of those mistaken ideas. In 1966, the newly independent Guyana had no national consensus, awareness or acceptance of political goals of the government as it has now. The dust of the colonial era had not settled and people could not see far ahead or clearly, and tended to accept readily any notion or idea suggested by the British. History has taught us to be more discriminating in our selection of educational material. In
any event, by mid 1968 the honeymoon was over and with one, single exception (the Force Commander) the GDF was on its own; bereft of British advisers. Their departure marked the end of our technical apprenticeship and our graduation as exponents the military art in our own right.
More important, a farm was opened at a place called "Garden of Eden" on the East Bank Demerara. From the time of the debate on the PPP regime's still-born National Army Bill, the PNC had articulated its concern that any indigenous Armed Force should be involved in development tasks. Agriculture is the lynch-pin of development in Guyana and has a significant role in the economy. Further, the more practical reason was that the cost of the food consumed annually by the GDF spiralled as the months went by and a farm was seen as a means of saving money by producing food for the consumption of soldiers. About sixty acres were allocated initially but this would be increased as time went by.
During 1968 some other changes took place. The second battalion, which was intended to be a volunteer unit was converted to a regular one. This became necessary as a result of the growing responsibility for border surveillance and security. The Headquarters had been in existence from earliest times and many of the reservists in the companies were eager to become regulars. The transformation was smooth and simple.
Intensive training at all levels continued and in keeping with its growing operational tasks big exercises were mounted in the interior as part of the annual "Force training" to exercise the maximum number of commanders, staff officers and soldiers in field operations.
