Ghanaian officer earns her blue cord

Photo By Lori Egan | LT Agatha Kpamina, Ghana Armed Forces, is the first female from one of U.S. Africa Command’s partners – Ghana – to attend and complete the Infantry Basic Officer Course at Fort Benning, Georgia. Mark Irish, chief of the Maneuver Center of Excellence’s International Military Student Office presents the Infantry blue cord to Kpamina. Capt. Jordan Hill, C Company commander, 3rd Battalion, 81st Armor Battalion, 199th Infantry Brigade, presented the Foreign Military Badge that can be worn on her official uniform.  

FORT BENNING, GEORGIA, UNITED STATES

04.15.2021

Story by Lori Egan 

Fort Moore Public Affairs Office

FORT BENNING, Ga. – Medal of Honor recipient retired Capt. Florent “Flo” Groberg, a graduate of the Maneuver Center of Excellence Officer Candidate School and Infantry Officer Basic Course, spoke at the IBOLC graduation of Class 01-21.

One of the students in this class was Lt. Agatha Kpamina, a soldier with the Ghana Armed Forces. She is the first female from one of U.S. Africa Command’s partners – Ghana – to attend and complete the course, said Mark Irish, chief of the MCoE’s International Military Student Office.

Groberg told the graduates that getting the Infantry blue cord is like joining a fraternity, a society that expects your best.

“Rely on your teammates,” Groberg said. “Because guess what? They'll be there to pick you up. They'll be there to guide you. They'll be there to make sure you make it through.”

Irish presented Kpamina with the Infantry blue cord and Capt. Jordan Hill, C Company commander, 3rd Battalion, 81st Armor Battalion, 199th Infantry Brigade, presented the Foreign Military Badge that can be worn on her official uniform.

Groberg told the graduates to trust in their training, to trust their noncommissioned officers, to be proud but never to be satisfied.

“I am proud of myself,” said the 28-year-old officer who spent the last seven months learning different protocols and troop leading procedures.

“It was tough training, but doable,” said Kpamina, who left Monday for Ghana. When she gets home, she will have a couple of weeks before she takes an exam for promotion to captain and assumes her new position as a platoon commander for the Ghana Army Recruit Training School.

“I will train recruits to be soldiers,” Kpamina said. “and be a role model for females.”

• Date Taken: 04.15.2021
• Date Posted: 04.16.2021 14:04
• Story ID: 393951
• Location: FORT BENNING, GEORGIA, US