Air Force Hands Over Flagstaff House Security Duty To Navy

A short but colourful ceremony was performed yesterday at the Flagstaff House for the change-over of security duty at the presidency from the Air Force to the Navy. Forty-eight Air Force officers who were on duty at the Flagstaff House for a month handed over duty to the same number of naval officers at the ceremony. Changing the Guard, which is a replica of what happens at the Buckingham Palace in Britain, is done on the first Monday of every month. The 30-minute ceremony was witnessed by President John Dramani Mahama, Vice-President Paa Kwesi Bekoe Amissah-Arthur, and the Chief of Staff, Mr Prosper Douglas Bani, security chiefs and pupils of the Saint Kizito Catholic School. As is the tradition, the Air Force officers admonished the Naval officers not to smoke or drink alcohol on while duty. The old guards also asked the new guards to pay compliments to all officers and dignitaries who would be visiting the Flagstaff House. And in case of fire, the new guards should shout 'fire' to draw the attention of the fire officers stationed at the Flagstaff House. The Air Force officers again urged the naval officers to consult their superiors when confronted with any difficulty. The Navy Band and contingent performed briefly after the symbolic change-over. Changing the Guard or Guard Mounting is the process involving a new guard exchanging duty with the old guard. The Guard which mounts at Buckingham Palace is called The Queen�s Guard and is divided into two Detachments: the Buckingham Palace Detachment (which is responsible for guarding Buckingham Palace), and the St. James�s Palace Detachment (which guards St. James�s Palace). These guard duties are normally provided by a battalion of the Household Division and occasionally by other infantry battalions or other units. In Ghana, Changing the Guard rotates among the Army, the Air Force and the Navy.