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• The British Amry has therefore highlighted the achievements of a young Ghanaian
• Lance Corporal Precious Obeng hails from Sekondi-Takoradi
As the world marks Black History Month every year in October, the British army is celebrating the achievement of a young Ghanaian making strides in the Dreghorn Barracks in Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
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Then 28, his age of applying to join the British Army was deemed to be significantly older than most applicants, thus, Lance Corporal Precious Obeng was almost denied a golden opportunity. He was however able to pass all tests and join up.
According to details of his journey captured on army.mod.uk, Lance Corporal Obeng is one of five siblings who grew up in Sekondi-Takoradi where his parents still reside.
Precious, whose earlier focus was to first become a journalist attended university and earned a Diploma in Communication Studies. After his education, he began working at the state-owned Ghana Broadcasting Corporation where was involved in the presentation of news bulletins.
After having done his National Service as a secondary school teacher, Precious Obeng in search of another challenge and a better life applied to join the British army where he currently works in the CIS Platoon of 3 RIFLES as a signals enabler and storeman.
When asked why he joined the British army, Precious who is now 36-years-old said, “I wanted to experience the journey and cultural challenge of serving with the British Army.”
“I felt that the British Army offered an opportunity for regular employment with additional benefits, a chance to travel and experience a range of opportunities he would not otherwise have been exposed to,” he added.
When applying for his visa into the UK, Lance Corporal Obeng recounted how cumbersome the process was, which caused some complications and later delayed his application which was unsuccessful on the first try.
Despite the setback, he reapplied for a second time and was granted a visa this time adding that visa clearance problems are common and needed to be considered by future applicants.
After growing up in Ghana for years, Lance Corporal Obeng said he was sad to leave his nation but needed to take the opportunity granted him.
When he arrived in the UK, he underwent his initial training in Catterick in 2013 and after a brief delay due to an injury, Precious joined the Battalion in 2015.
“Since then, he has been on a number of overseas training exercises, the first to the United States for a large multinational exercise, this included going to Folk Polk, Louisiana and experiencing his first Mardi Gras in New Orleans. He has also been to Kenya and Germany. As well as training abroad he has also been involved in a number of UK-based exercises including the major Wessex Storm exercise on Salisbury plain,” the portal wrote.
“In 2017, Precious attended a promotional cadre, something he described as one of the hardest things he’s done and was promoted to Lance Corporal. He has also undertaken the All Arms Storeman course. When we spoke to him in August 2021, he had just returned from a Regimental Signals Detachment Commanders Course.”
“During his service, he has inspired members of his family to apply. His brother and brother-in-law both joined the Royal Logistics Corps after he was able to provide some coaching and mentoring and some sound advice to them while they were in the application process” it added.
At the present, Lance Corporal Obeng looks forward to continuing his career with the British army and see where it leads.
He said the British army has offered him numerous opportunities and allowed him to be a ‘better version of myself’.
When asked about his first love which was in journalism, Precious Obeng said he still maintains keen interest and would like to re-engage at some point adding he intends to write blogs in the future.
“I enjoy the experience of the British media in the range of its outputs and I feel its diversity may give some pointers to media in Ghana,” Obeng added.
Giving advice for persons seeking to join the British army, Lance Corporal Obeng said “get fit and stay fit! Come with the right attitude. To those from the Commonwealth, I’d also say get ready to be shocked by the British weather!”
Lance Corporal Precious Obeng is married with two daughters aged four and two.
