Senior GDF officers awarded Brazilian Army Medal

Three senior officers of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) have been awarded the Brazilian Army Medal for distinguished service and contributions to defence cooperation between Guyana and Brazil, the GDF said.

Colonels Kenlloyd Roberts and Sheldon Howell received the decoration during a ceremony at the Brazilian Embassy in Georgetown. The medals were presented by Brazil’s ambassador to Guyana, Maria Cristina de Castro Martins, in the presence of Chief of Defence Staff Brigadier Omar Khan and other senior officers from both countries.

Earlier, on August 21, Coast Guard Captain Vernon Burnette was presented with the same honour in Brasília during the Brazilian Army Day Parade by Army General Tomás Miguel Miné Ribeiro Paiva, commander of the Brazilian Army.

The Brazilian Army Medal is conferred on military personnel, both national and foreign, who have demonstrated professional excellence and strengthened military cooperation.

The GDF said the awards highlight growing defence ties between Guyana and Brazil, which include joint training, operational exchanges and regional security collaboration.