Guyana Defence Force officers and ranks are hereby advised that they are not to wear their camouflage masks when dressed in civilian attire.
According to Chief-of-Staff, Patrick West, camouflage masks are military kit and must be treated as such.
Members of the general public are advised that it is an offence in law to be in possession of or to wear any item of military issue.
The Guyana Defence Force Uniforms Act stipulates that persons who do so shall be liable to fines of $4,875, $9, 750 or to imprisonment for a month.
As such, GDF, therefore, advises against the wearing of these masks by members of the general public.
Section 2 of the Guyana Defence Force Uniforms Act states-
(1) No one who is not serving in the Guyana Defence Force may wear, without the Minister’s permission, the uniform of that force, or any dress having the appearance or bearing any of the regimental or other distinctive marks of that uniform:
Provided that this enactment shall not prevent—(a) any person from wearing the cast-off uniform of any of that force if all regimental buttons and other regimental or distinctive marks are removed therefrom; or
(b) any person from wearing any uniform or dress in the course of a stage play performed in a place duly licensed or authorized for the public performance of stage plays, or in
the course of private theatricals, or at any fancy dress ball, or in the course of a music hall or circus performance, or in the course of any military representation in good faith.
(2) No one may lawfully sell, or dispose of to any other person, not serving in the Guyana Defence Force, the uniform of any of that
force, except for the purposes mentioned in paragraph (b) of the proviso to subsection (1), unless all regimental buttons and other
regimental or distinctive marks are first removed therefrom.
(3) Anyone who contravenes this section shall be liable to a fine of four thousand eight hundred and seventy-five dollars [$4,875].
Section 3 of the Act which speaks to Bringing Contempt on Uniform states-
Anyone not serving in the Guyana Defence Force who wears, without the Minister’s permission, the uniform of that force, or any
dress having the appearance or bearing any of the regimental or other distinctive marks of that uniform, in such a manner or in such
circumstances as to be likely to bring contempt upon that uniform or employs any other person so to wear that uniform or dress shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine of nine thousand seven hundred and fifty dollars [$9, 750] or to imprisonment for one month.
