GEORGETOWN, GUYANA – July 5, 2025 — After more than five decades in the sky and thousands of hours behind the controls, Lieutenant Colonel (Ret’d) Mohamad Aziz Nezamudeen has been officially recognised for a lifetime of service to Guyana’s military and aviation sector.
In a heartfelt ceremony held at the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Hangar at the Eugene F. Correia International Airport, President Dr Irfaan Ali conferred the Medal of Service on Lt Col Nezamudeen, shortly after the veteran pilot flew the President to and from Mabaruma.
The moment marked not just a career milestone, but a celebration of a man who has become a quiet force behind Guyana’s aerial operations—military and civilian alike.
“For over fifty years, Lt Colonel Nezamudeen has remained a pillar of aviation excellence in Guyana,” President Ali told the gathering of military personnel, government officials, and family members. He credited the pilot with helping to build the foundation of the GDF Air Corps, sharing both technical knowledge and personal discipline with younger generations of aviators.
Lt Col Nezamudeen’s career spans an estimated 26,000 flying hours—without a single recorded accident. He humbly described that achievement as one of the proudest moments of his life.
Though officially retired from the military, Nezamudeen continues to fly. As a civilian pilot, he remains actively involved in GDF missions and continues to lend his experience to critical national operations.
His story is more than one of endurance; it’s one of service that has stretched across decades, shaped by both the challenges of national security and the everyday risks of flying in some of the most remote parts of the country. From medevacs to search and rescue, anti-piracy operations to military training, Nezamudeen has played a role in nearly every aspect of the GDF’s airborne activities.
President Ali announced that the GDF will take steps to formally document the pilot’s career and contributions—ensuring that future officers and the wider public will understand the significance of his work.
Born in Guyana, Nezamudeen returned home after overseas aviation training and joined the GDF in 1978, shortly after completing the Military Conversion Course. He served as First Officer with the then Guyana Airways and took on several key roles within the GDF, including Chief Pilot, Operations Manager, and acting Commanding Officer of the Air Corps.
Among those in attendance at the ceremony were Prime Minister Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips, Chief of Defence Staff Brigadier Omar Khan, and other senior officers—all of whom paid tribute to a man whose life has been defined by steady hands and a strong sense of duty.
As President Ali presented the medal, he offered thanks not just from the government, but on behalf of a grateful nation.
