How to become a soldier in Ghana

Becoming a soldier in Ghana is a great way to serve your country and make a meaningful contribution to society. As with any military, there are certain eligibility requirements that must be met in order to join the Ghanaian military.

The Ghanaian Armed Forces have strict qualifications for joining and require applicants to pass a physical and mental evaluation, as well as meet certain educational requirements.

Once you have met all of the eligibility requirements, you can begin the formal application process for joining the Ghanaian military. The process typically consists of an application, a medical examination, and an interview. After your application has been approved, you will be assigned to a unit and begin the training program.

About Ghana Armed Forces

The Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) is the unified armed force of Ghana, consisting of the Ghana Army (GA), Ghana Navy (GN), and Ghana Air Force. The Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) is supervised by the Ghanaian Ministry of Defence.

The President of Ghana is the Commander-in-Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces and also the supreme military commander of the President’s Own Guard Regiment (POGR) and of the Border Guard Unit (BGU). The supervision of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) is managed by the Minister of Defence and the Chief of Defence Staff.

As one of the largest and most powerful armies in Africa, the Ghana Armed Forces has provided aid to other African countries in times of war mostly through the United Nations. Its first external operation was the United Nations Operation in the
Congo in the early 1960s.

GAF general recruitment requirements for officer cadets

Eligible applicant should:

1. Be a Ghanaian citizen by birth.
2. Be of good character.
3. Not be less than 20 years and not more than 26 years for Regular Commission and  Short Service Commission applicants.
4. Be medically fit by Ghana Armed Forces standard.
5. Be not bonded.
6. Be not married (for Regular Officer Candidates only).
7. Be of minimum height of 1.68m (5’6’’) for males and 1.60m (5’ 4”) for females.
8. For Military Police only; the minimum height for male applicants should be 1.75m (5’9”) and 1.70m (5’ 7”) for females.

Must have the following:

BECE

Must have Six (6) Passes including English and Mathematics.

WASSCE

Must have Six (6) Credits (Not less than C6) including Core English and Core Mathematics.

SSSCE

Must have Six (6) Credits (Not less than D) including Core Englishand Mathematics.

GCE ‘O’ Level

Must have Five (5) Credits (Not less than 6) including English and Mathematics.

GCE ‘A’ Level

Must have Credits in all Three (3) subjects (Not less than D) and General Paper.

DEGREE

Must have First Degree (Not below) Second Class Lower from a recognised University

GAF general recruitment requirements for recruits

An eligible applicant must:

1. Be a Ghanaian citizen by birth.
2. Be of good character.
3. Be not less than 18 years of age and not more than 27 years.
4. Be medically fit by Armed Forces standards.
5. Be not married.
6. Be not bonded.
7. Be of minimum height of 1.68m (5’6”) for males and 1.57m (5’2”) for females. For Military Police only; be of a minimum height of 1.75m (5’9”) for males and 1.70m (5’7”) for females.
8. Have six (6) Credits (not less than Grade 6)at BECE including English and Mathematics.
9. Have five credits (not less than Grade C6) in WASSCE, including Core English and Core Mathematics or the requisite credits/passes in respective trade qualifications from GES at Intermediate or Advanced Level.

How to apply to become a soldier in Ghana

All candidates that meet up with the recruitment process can follow the applications process below:

1. Get a scratch card from the approved post offices nation-wide (the scratch card costs fifty Ghana cedis).
2. The card holds a “PIN” Gently scratch the covering on the card to reveal it.
3. Log on to http://www.gafrecruitment.com and click on the Apply Now tab to start the application process
4. Enter the Serial Number and PIN code as it is written on the scratch card. Then select your preferred Arm of Service, type of commission and click “Submit” to move to the next stage.
5. Next, enter your personal details and select your desired vacancy. You will be required to provide additional information based on the vacancy you selected.
6. Upload a scanned copy of your recent passport-sized photograph (dimension: 170 x 150 pixels). Enter a valid email address and mobile phone number (in the format 233244654321).
7. Type in the results of only two required core subjects SSSCE/WASSCE. Enter your WASSCE or SSSCE index number and SSSCE or WASSCE Certificate serial number.
8. Upload the required academic documents (SSSCE or WASSCE certificate, degree certificate – should not exceed 1 megabyte and should be in picture format, JPEG only.)
9. Click the Preview tab to see a summary page of the information you provided. Go through the page and cross-check your data to ensure it is correct. You can click on the back button and make modifications if need be.
10. Once confirmed, click on the submit button and you’ll receive an email message and text message. In these messages, you will find your unique Identification Number.
11. Print a copy of this message as it will be requested when you qualify for the recruitment exercise.

Write The Entrance Examination

If you qualify for the recruitment exercise, you’ll be called up to write an entrance examination. If you’re successful, you will be offered admission to the Ghana Military Academy where you can begin training to become a soldier.

How much do soldiers get paid in Ghana?

The men and women of the Ghana Army do, however, get some allowances and bonuses. However, the highest allowances are reduced for the highest ranked officers. The lowest paid private is an E1 and makes GHc9,893.57 a month. A soldier can earn up to GHc11,089.27 per month once they are classified as an E2 private.

Conclusion

As a soldier in Ghana, you will be expected to uphold the highest standards of conduct and be willing to sacrifice yourself for the greater good of the country. It’s a noble and rewarding way to serve your country and make a difference in your community.