Profile: Vice Admiral Mathew Quashie, Chief of Defence Staff
The profile of Vice Admiral Mathew Quashie appointed as Chief of Defence Staff by President John Dramani Mahama obtained by the Ghana News Agency in Accra on Monday.
Vice Admiral Mathew Quashie was born on March 23, 1951 in Accra.
He attended Mfanstipim Secondary School in Cape Coast for his General Certificate of Education (GCE) Ordinary Level Certificate from 1965 to 1970.
He entered the Ghana Military Academy in 1970 and subsequently enrolled in to the Ghana Secondary Technical School (GSTS), Takoradi, from 1970 to 1972 for the GCE Advanced Level Certificate.
He continued his basic military officer training at the Britannia Royal Navy College, United Kingdom, and commissioned Sub-Lieutenant into the Executive Branch of the Ghana Navy in July 1974.
From January to December 1979, Vice Admiral Mathew Quashie attended many courses, which included the international Sub-Lieutenant Course at Dartmouth and United Kingdom.
In March 1979, he attended a Military Law Course at the Ghana Armed Forces Legal Service in Accra and in 1980; he had an education in international Long Communication Course at Pettersfield in the United Kingdom.
Vice Admiral Quashie in 1983 had a Junior Staff course and later proceeded onto a Senior Staff Course from September 1985 to August 1986 at the Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Accra.
In 1997, he completed Amphibious Planning Senior course in Coronado, San Diego, United States of America and a National War College, at Abuja Nigeria in September 2001 to July 2002 respectively.
The statement said Vice Admiral Quashie during the course of his career held a variety of command and staff appointments.
It said he was Watch-keeping Officer on the Ghana Navy Ships (GNS) Keta, Kromanste, Sahene and Achimota.
“Executive Officer on the GNS Elimina and Dzata and Acting Executive Officer on GNS Kromanste and from 1977-1978 he was the Aide-de-Camp to the Chief of the Naval Staff”.
The statement said the newly appointed Chief of Defence Staff had various appointments, which included Base Operations Officer, Naval Base Sekondi from August to November 1986.
Other appointments included Staff Officer Communication and Intelligence, Naval Headquaters (June 1987- April 1988) and Acting Training Officer, Naval Base Sekondi (April1988-January 1989). He was also a Senior Afloat/Commanding Officer Naval Base Sekondi.
He was also Director Operations and Plans, Naval Headquarters, Directing Staff at both the Ghana Armed Forces Command College and Nigeria Command and Staff College (2001), Director Resettlement at General Headquarters (2003), Chief Staff Officer, Naval Headquarters (2004) and Flag Officer Commanding the Eastern Naval Command from 2005 to 2009.
Vice Admiral Quashie has also served with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) from November 1986 to June 1987 as Assistant Staff Officer.
Until his current appointment as Chief of the Defence Staff, Vice Admiral Mathew Quashie was the Chief of the Naval Staff of the Ghana Navy from April 2009 to March 2013.
He holds a Masters of Arts degree in Governance and Leadership. He is married with children. He loves reading and has passion for golf.
Source: GNA