Guyana National Reserve

With the disbandment of the British Guiana Volunteer Force upon Guyana achieving Independence, the Reserve element was designated the 2nd Battalion (2 GDF) and had Companies in Georgetown, New Amsterdam, Linden and Essequibo. Between 1966 and 1976, attrition took a toll on 2 GDF, with many of its members absorbed by the Regular Force due to heightened border tension.

ROLE

To provide a first response and augmentation to the regular Force in the execution of Military and Civil Defence Missions. 

ORGANISATION

2  Infantry Battalion Group (Reserve) consists of a Regular and a Reserve element. The Regular elements are made up of an HQ, based at Camp Ayanganna, the main training base at Seweyo, linden Highway, and the 241 Coy (based at Seweyo). The Reserve element is presently made up of four (4) Reserve Rifle Coys, namely 242 Coy (which covers Regions 4 and 5), 243 Coy (Regions 2 and 3), 244 Coy (Region 6) and 245 Coy (Region 10).

TASKS

The tasks of the 2 Inf Bn Gp (Res) are as follows:

1. To identify, recruit and train suitable Officers and Reservists.

2. To gather and relay information on occurrence. To maintain a reservoir of trained Reservists to augment the regular Force.

3. To provide a core of specialists for Civil Defence Missions

HISTORY OF THE GUYANA NATIONAL RESERVE

In 1976, in the face of threats to the territorial integrity of the country, and the depletion of the Reserve, a decision was taken to reactivate the system of volunteer reserves, and the Guyana Peoples’ Militia (GPM) was established on December 1, 1976, as the Reserve element. With the rallying cry of “Every Citizen a Soldier”, the citizens of Guyana responded in large numbers from across the length and breadth of the country. From its inception, the role of the GPM was to provide a framework on which mass preparation for emergencies could be carried out during a period of rising tensions; to support the Regular Force in all its functions when called upon to do so, and to provide a reservoir of trained recruits for the Regular Force.

Between the mid-1980s and mid-1990s, the GPM was severely affected by the downturn in the economy. Money for the payment of stipends and the purchase of food, kit and equipment were drastically reduced, resulting in decreased recruitment and membership. This resulted, ultimately, in the GPM losing its autonomy and being relegated to the 2nd Infantry Battalion Group (Reserve) in August of 1997. In December 2015, the Reserve element was renamed the Guyana Peoples’ Militia. The name was once again changed on April 1, 2022, to the Guyana National Reserve (GNR).

After its initial establishment in 1976, the Reserve had its Headquarters relocated from Diamond on the East Bank of Demerara to Georgetown and finally to its main training location at Base Camp Seweyo on the Linden Highway. It currently comprises a Regular Battalion (Two Infantry Battalion), a Reserve Battalion, and the Guyana National Cadet Corps. The GNR is commanded by a Commandant in the rank of a Colonel.

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