New soldiers on the block: the emergence of disciplined soldier subjects in the Ghana Armed Forces’ transformation process

ABSTRACT

Based on ethnographic engagement with the Ghana Armed Forces, this study examines the creation of new soldier subjectivities in the process of institutional transformation. It does so by foregrounding interpersonal relations as manifestation and mediation of transformation. As a result of the restoration of military order in the barracks after the breakdown of and subsequent reinstallation of discipline in the Ghana Armed Forces since the 1980s, new disciplined soldier subjectivities have emerged. In this paper, I present three sub-categories of the disciplined soldier subject, and how they have been received by representatives of the old military order. The article explores how the emergence of these new types of soldiers is changing the social conventions in the barracks based on their use of technological devices, such as the mobile phones, tablet or computers, but also new types of social and political reach of society into the barracks, especially the so-called ‘protocol-list’ and ‘big man backing’. The article addresses how the new types of soldiers incorporate new forms of interactions and engagements with technology, society and the military institution, thus translating the goals of its transformation process into everyday military practice.

KEYWORDS:

• Ghana Armed Forces
• telephone Soldier
• computer/Internet Soldier
• old Soldier
• new Subjectivities
• soldier Subject

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes

1. I wish to thank the two anonymous reviewers and editor(s) for their constructive comments. This article is dedicated to the memory of Birgitte Refslund Sørensen.

2. I opt for presenting an assemblage of these subjectivities in order to be able to present the plethora of views, perceptions and narratives I came across in my interactions with various SNCOs. The construct of the Old Soldier allows me to present the various views of the Old Soldier as representative of the SNCOs. On their behalf, he speaks about his relationship with his (changing) environment, how he relates to his younger colleagues, as well as how the Old Soldier relates to his predecessors.

3. Since 2017, the maximum service years for other ranks before has been raised to 30 years.

4. The old-timers have the characteristics of the Buga-Buga soldier. The old-timer was recruited at the end of the 1960s, early 1970. These soldiers had virtually no education. They served for many years but were still lance corporals and corporals at the time of retirement due to lack of promotion/progression opportunities. Additionally, because these soldiers lacked educational skills, they failed their exams and were unable to progress beyond the lower ranks. However, the old-timers had a deep understanding of their soldierly tasks. They taught the soldiers who came after them how ‘to be proper soldiers,’ i.e. a soldier who is disciplined, dresses properly, knows his drills and is a good fighter. (Information from informal conversations with SNCOs and officers from various units and barracks throughout December 2013 – January 2015).

5. Ibid.

6. Ibid.

7. Informal conversations with SNCOs (Warrant Officers Class I A., T., D.B.), Burma Camp, Accra, Ghana (in the months March and April, 2014).

8. He is also known as the ‘Bully Bully Soldier’ because he bullied civilians to get his way.

9. Interview with Warrant Officer Class II O-Y., Burma Camp, Accra, Ghana (13 March 2014).

10. Informal conversation with Lieutenant Commander A.L., Burma Camp, Accra, Ghana (6 June 2014).

11. Interview with Senior Warrant Officer P., Kamina Barracks, Tamale, Ghana (8 August 2014).

12. Ibid.

13. Interview with Warrant Officer Class I N.T., Burma Camp, Accra, Ghana (16 March 2014).

14. Ibid.

15. Informal conversation with Lieutenant Commander A.L., Burma Camp, Accra, Ghana (5 June 2014).

16. Interview with Chief Petty Officer A., Eastern Naval Command, Tema, Accra, Ghana (9 July 2014).

17. Interview with Warrant Officer N.T., Burma Camp, Accra, Ghana (16 March 2014).

18. Ibid.

19. Ibid.

20. Interview with ex-Warrant Class I O., Accra, Ghana (5 January 2015).

21. Interview with Chief Petty Officer A., Eastern Naval Command, Tema, Accra, Ghana (9 July 2014).

22. Interview with Sergeant H., Michel Camp, Tema, Ghana (14 May 2014).

23. Interview with Lieutenant A., Burma Camp, Accra, Ghana (15 March 2014).

24. Interview with Lieutenant Commander A., Burma camp, Accra, Ghana (6 June 2014).

25. Interview with Warrant Officer P., Kamina Barracks, Tamale, Ghana (9 August 2014).

26. Interview with Lieutenant A., Burma Camp, Accra, Ghana (25 March 2014); informal conversation with Warrant Officer Class I N.T., Burma Camp, Accra, Ghana (15 March 2014).

27. Interview with Warrant Officer Class I N.T., Burma Camp, Accra, Ghana (16 March 2014).

28. Ibid.

29. Interview with Warrant Officer Class II S., Burma Camp, Accra, Ghana (12 March 2014).

30. Interview with Warrant Officer Class II Y-O., Burma Camp, Accra, Ghana (13 March 2014).

31. Interview with Lance Corporal B, Burma Camp, Accra, Ghana (18 April 2014).

32. Interview with Warrant Officer P., Kamina Barracks, Tamale, Ghana (8 August 2014).

33. Interview with acting RSM, Warrant Officer Class I E., Accra, Ghana (8 May 2014). Similar sentiments were expressed by other RSMs and Base Coxswains interviewed.

34. ‘Pass’: a soldier is required to seek permission to leave the barracks or ‘seek pass.’

35. I observed that occasionally an SNCO may own an extraordinarily flashy mobile phone, but generally most of them had average, old looking phones.

36. Interview with Warrant Officer Class I B.R., Burma Camp, Accra, Ghana (27 March 2014).

37. Interview with Lieutenant Colonel A., Burma Camp, Accra, Ghana (15 June 2014). Since February 2019, Ghana has 16 regions.

38. Ibid.

39. Interview with Warrant Officer Class I D.R., Burma Camp, Accra, Ghana (27 March 2014).

40. Ibid.

41. Interview with Warrant Officer Class I D.R., Burma Camp, Accra, Ghana (27 March 2014).

42. Interview with Lieutenant Colonel A., Burma Camp, Accra, Ghana (15 June 2014).

43. The critique of the Old Soldier regarding the Computer/Internet Soldier’s recruitment trajectory is unfair. The military no longer recruits physically like in the past due to the immense competition for the few available positions. The military first pre-selects based on the applicants’ eligibility, in line with current trends and its professionalization discourse. It is not the potential cadet or recruit’s fault that the military uses this recruitment system.

44. Interview with Lieutenant Colonel A., Burma Camp, Accra, Ghana (15 June 2014).

45. http://gafrecruitment.com.gh/; accessed 13 August 2018.

46. Interview with Lieutenant Colonel A., Burma Camp, Accra, Ghana (15 June 2014).

47. Interview with Warrant Officer Class I A., Burma Camp, Accra, Ghana (24 March 2014).

48. Ibid.

49. Ibid.

50. Informal conversation with three Warrant Officers. Kamina Barracks, Tamale, Ghana (8 August 2014).

51. Informal conversation with Warrant Officer Class II A., Kamina Barracks, Tamale, Ghana (8 August 2014).

52. Ibid. 64 Infantry Regiment publishes its Part I Orders online for its soldiers to access.

53. Ibid.

54. Ibid.

55. In my interactions with soldiers, throughout my fieldwork, this name kept coming up. Some young soldiers have more than one phone due to unreliable network coverage in parts of Ghana.

56. The Ghana Armed Forces collaborates with the Ghana Police Service to combat armed robbery in Operation Halt/Operation Calm Life. https://www.modernghana.com/news/87158/1/operation-calm-life-re-launched.html (accessed 4 December 2015).

57. Informal conversations with warrant officers. Kamina Barracks, Tamale, Ghana (5 August 2014).

58. My interlocutors claim that during recruitments, members of parliament, ministers, other politicians, judges, high-ranking civil servants and the like, bring their kith and kin and other relations to be recruited into the military on the so-called Protocol list. Although I never saw a protocol list, it was clear from my interactions that in military circles such lists have been and are still in circulation. The recruitment officer did not deny the existence of such a list, although he was quick to add that these lists came into circulation way before his tenure. Interview with Warrant Officer Class I B., Burma Camp, Accra, Ghana (28 March 2014).

59. Ibid.

60. Ibid.

61. Interview with Warrant Officer Class II A., Burma Camp, Accra, Ghana (12 April 2014).

62. Excerpt from my field notebook. ‘Observations of a preparation of a parade.’

63. Interview with Warrant Officer Class I B., Burma Camp, Accra, Ghana (12 March 2014). He explains that when he was a recruit, pace sticks and canes were used to beat recruits when they made a mistake, for instance.

64. Ibid.

65. Ibid.

66. Ibid.

67. Ibid.

68. Ibid. Paying appropriate compliment to a superior or greeting/saluting, is a remnant of colonial military practice.

69. Interview with Warrant Officer Class II S., Burma Camp, Accra, Ghana (17 April 2014).

70. Interview with Warrant Officer Class I B.R., Burma Camp, Accra, Ghana (12 March 2014).

71. Ibid.

72. Interview with Chief Fleet Petty Officer A., Eastern Naval Command, Tema, Accra, Ghana (7 July 2014).

73. Historian of the Ghana Armed Forces Museum, in Kumasi (14 January 2015).

74. The term barracks boys could be used as derogatory term for mischievous young men and women who live in the barracks. These are young men and women who are not respected in the barracks because of their behaviour, such as stealing from families in the barracks.

75. Various discussions with Lieutenant D., Major M., and Warrant Officer Class I N.T., (March through to June 2014).

76. Interview with Warrant Officer Class I N.T., Burma Camp, Accra, Ghana (18 April 2014).

77. Ibid.

78. Ibid.

79. Interview with Warrant Officer Class I T., Burma Camp, Accra, Ghana (5 April 2014).

80. Ibid.

81. Ibid.

82. Interview with Lance Corporal S., Burma Camp, Accra, Ghana (8 April 2014).

83. Informal conversation with Lance Corporal O., Kamina Barracks, Tamale, Ghana (6 August 2014).

84. Informal conversation with Lance Corporal K., Burma Camp, Accra, Ghana (10 April 2014).

85. Ibid.

86. Informal conversations with Private Soldier S., and Lance Corporal O., Michel Camp, Tema, Accra, Ghana (7 May 2014).

87. Informal conversation with a young soldier. For privacy reasons, I have decided not to add any more information.

88. Ibid.

89. Ibid.

90. Interview with Lieutenant E., Kamina Barracks, Tamale, Ghana (6 August 2014).

91. Informal conversations with Lieutenants S., and K., Burma Camp, Accra, Ghana (March and April 2014).

92. Ibid.

93. Ibid.