The GDF was formed on 1 November 1965. Members of the new Defence Force were drawn from the British Guiana Volunteer Force, Special Service Unit, British Guiana Police Force and civilians. Training assistance was provided by British instructors. In January 1969, the GDF faced their first test when the Rupununi Uprising, a bloody separatist movement in southern Guyana, attempted to annex the territory to Venezuela that was contained 3 days later with a balance of between 70 and 100 dead. The GDF is an integral part of the Guyanese nation. Resources and equipment of the GDF are used to help other Guyanese; examples include medical mercy flights and the construction of roads and airstrips by the Engineering Corps. Enlistment into the force is voluntary for officers and soldiers. Basic training is done within GDF training schools, which has also trained officers and soldiers from CommonwealthCaribbean territories. However, officers are trained at two of the world-renowned British officer training schools: Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and Britannia Royal Naval College. The training and skills gained by the members of the GDF have been used when they move either into civilian life or into the sister military organizations, the Guyana People's Militia and the Guyana National Service.
In the 1980s, Guyana National Service provided infantry battalions for use by the GDF for the purposes of national security. Those battalions were amalgamated in 1988 to form what is now the 1st Infantry Battalion Group. The now combined battalion is today required to carry out the tasks protecting the country in case of wartime and to help the local authorities in emergency situations.
GDF Band Corps
The Guyana Defence Force Band Corps is the official musical unit of the GDF whose role is to provide musical accompaniment for ceremonial functions of the GDF. The members were drawn from the Rifle Companies and the defunct Volunteer Force and were brought out during regimental military parades. The Guyana Defence Force Steel Band would soon follow the main band's lead after its own establishment in 1970, three years after the original band was founded.
Medical Corps
The Medical Corps provides medical and dental care to all the members of the GDF and their immediate families. It often liaises with the Health ministry for medical procedures and protocol to be carried out effectively. The corps is situated in Base Camp Ayanganna which includes facilities such as a medical laboratory and a dental lab.
The Defence force air wing was formed in 1968 and was then renamed the Guyana Defence force air command in 1973. Seven Britten-Norman BN-2A Islander were delivered over a five-year period in the 1970s and then were supplemented by Short Skyvans series 3Ms in 1979. In 1986 3 Mil Mi-8 were delivered. The GDF currently operates three fixed-wing aircraft and four helicopters.
Former aircraft
Coast Guard
The Guyana Defence Force Coast Guard is the naval component of the Guyana Defence Force.
1 River-class minesweeper - GDFS Essequibo is ex-Royal Navy Orwell c 1985; 890 tons full load transferred to Guyana in 2001
8 T-44 patrol boats - 18 tons full load; ex-United States Coast Guard motor lifeboats
