The Chief of Staff (COS) at the General Headquarters (GHQ) of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF), Air Vice Marshall Joshua Lartei Mensah-Larkai has honoured retired soldiers of the 1995/96-year group on Thursday 31 July 2025 at GHQ Camp Conference Hall.

During the ceremony, Air Vice Marshall Mensah-Larkai highlighted the need to honour ex-servicemen for their decades of service to the nation and intimated that many of the ex-servicemen had endured challenging missions and difficult conditions. He said, ‘Serving God and country has not been easy; it has required immense sacrifice’.

He asserted that ex-servicemen must be supported beyond their final day on active service. As a result, COS announced an ongoing initiative aimed at expanding healthcare and bereavement packages for retired personnel and their families. He further disclosed that Command is exploring the implementation of a policy to give a six-month notice on retirement to give soon-to-be-retirees ample time to plan for life after service. 

Highlighting the importance of financial planning, Air Vice Marshall Mensah-Larkai encouraged ex-servicemen to invest in the Provident Fund, noting that retirees who invested their gratuity in the scheme received dividends that sometimes exceeded their pension income.

He therefore used the opportunity to advise serving personnel who are about to retire to seek guidance from the Directorate of Resettlement to explore investment options that would ensure financial stability in their post-service lives.