Kutsoati (middle) being assisted by other military

officers onboard to cut the birthday cake.

Birthday celebrations have undoubtedly been idolised as special days by many people and celebrated to mark their days of entry into this world.

It is usually characterised by dif­ferent forms of celebrations, partying, gifting and well wishes from loved ones including colleagues, family members and friends.

As special as it may be to the cel­ebrant, some are usually planned and even preceded by pre-birthday pho­to-shoot and a symbolic celebration to mark the day.

But different situations may alter that popularly adopted way of birth­day celebrations for some people and one of such was the birthday of a Gha­na Navy Officer, Lieutenant Command­er Frederick Kutsoati.

Lt. Cdr Kutsoati had to celebrate his birthday on a Navy Ship for the second time since he joined the Ghana Navy 16 years ago not because he chose to, but was rather unable to decouple the two birthdays from duty calls.

His birthday fell on March 20 during a four-day national assignment on­board a Ghana Navy Ship (GNS) Volta to the Equator on March 19-24 which obviously captured his day of birth.

The four-day national assignment by the Navy of the Ghana Armed Forc­es dubbed ‘Exercise Sea Lion 2024’ was to test the endurance and com­bat readiness of selected navy ships; GNS Volta and Ankobra in the company of a United States (US) Navy Ship.

Speaking to The Spec­tator newspaper onboard GNS Volta, after celebrat­ing his birthday almost at the Equator, Lt. Cdr Kutso­ati said he was privileged to have celebrated his birthday onboard a war­ship for the second time with the first one in 2010 onboard an American Navy Ship on a rescue course also to the Equator.

According to him, it was fascinating and intriguing to combine a national assignment with such an equally important day in his life though away from home and his close family.

For the reason of not just a cel­ebration onboard a ship but during a 340 nautical miles voyage to the center of the world, Lt. Cdr. Kutsoati described it as rare privilege as such open birthday celebration during a voyage to the center of the earth was pertinent to only the Naval arm of the Ghana Armed Forces.

As a logistics officer, Lt. Cdr kutso­ati acknowledged the Captain of GNS Volta Ship, Lt Cdr Samuel Sabbah Sar­bah for the opportunity to celebrate his birthday onboard the ship clarify­ing that, such privileges were usually the preserve of officers of the organic unit to the Ship.

He used the opportunity to encour­age all stakeholders including the citi­zenry to support the work of the Navy to safeguard the country’s territorial waters while also securing the nation’s maritime domain.

 From Ken Afedzi, Tema