Hundreds of Armed Forces applicants amass at El-Wak for screening exercise

Hundreds of prospective Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) recruits gathered at the El-Wak Stadium early Wednesday morning, November 12, 2025, as the nationwide screening exercise kicked off.

Reports indicate that the area was nearly filled by 2 a.m., with the crowd swelling further as dawn broke.

Many applicants were seen in white T-shirts and trainers, with bags and personal belongings lined behind them.

The assembly comes as part of the 2025/2026 recruitment exercise, which seeks to enlist 12,000 new personnel into the Army, Navy, and Air Force over the next three years.

Documentation and body selection for qualified applicants are scheduled to take place today over a two-day period at designated centres across the country, including the El-Wak facility.

This exercise follows a one-week extension of the application deadline, initially set for October 31, 2025.

The high command cited “technical challenges encountered on the recruitment portal” that disrupted the initial application phase. Applicants now had until November 7, 2025, to complete and submit their applications.

Colonel Evelyn Ntiamoah Asamoah, Acting Director General of Public Relations of the GAF, emphasized the need for fairness in the process.

“The Ghana Armed Forces has extended the deadline for the ongoing recruitment exercise by one week due to some technical challenges encountered on the recruitment portal during the initial period,” the press release stated, while apologizing for the inconvenience to applicants.

Prospective recruits were required to purchase an electronic recruitment voucher at GH¢200 from selected Ghana Post offices and submit their applications exclusively through the official portal at apply.mil.gh.

Eligibility criteria include being a Ghanaian citizen by birth, aged between 18 and 25 years for non-tradesmen or up to 27 for tradesmen, and of good character.

Height requirements specify a minimum of 1.68 metres for males and 1.57 metres for females, with stricter standards for candidates applying to the Military Police.

The body selection, also referred to as attestation, involves final physical examinations and verification of key documents, including application summary reports, educational certificates, and birth certificates. GAF has operational verification centres in all 16 regional capitals to ensure nationwide accessibility.

As the sun rose over El-Wak, anticipation and excitement were palpable among applicants who are seeking to serve the country in uniform.