Presentation by
Senator the Honourable Mark Golding Minister of Justice
Intake 106 Passing out Parade
Saturday 10 August, 2013 3:00 p.m. Moneague Training Camp, St. Ann
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Salutations/Protocol
. Chief of Defence Staff . Distinguished Guests . Other Officers, men and women of the Jamaica Defence Force . Families and friends of the graduands
Good afternoon.
Indeed I am delighted to have been asked to serve as reviewing officer for Intake 106.
Today, the 106th batch of recruits having been trained for service in the Jamaica Defence Force, take their rightful place among our noble citizens who have worn the uniform of the Jamaica Defence
Force, and will stand up bravely and proudly to defend our country.
They are not here on the basis of any sort of favour. Instead, these
131 soldiers, who started training on March 3, 2013 among 167 persons, have met the rigorous standards and have qualified to pass-out as soldiers of the JDF. This is an honour that has been earned with every drop of sweat and proven commitment, over twenty-two gruelling weeks of training.
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Strategic Defence Reviews by the JDF have identified that the manning levels of the JDF are one of its current deficiencies. While this batch of soldiers, and the passing out of successive batches, will contribute towards addressing these deficiencies and strengthening the operational capacity of the Force in the execution of its duties and responsibilities, with a net increase of 2,000 being suggested, the
Force remains significantly under-manned.
I must therefore use this opportunity to encourage Jamaica’s young men and women to give serious consideration to applying to the
Jamaica Defence Force, especially in the face of harsh economic realities which have made job opportunities increasingly scare.
Of course I would be doing a disservice to the Force and the brave men and women assembled here today if I did not impress upon potential applicants that successfully meeting the requirements of
JDF soldiers is no easy feat. Apart from the intense physical demands, the academic qualifications of the members of this intake
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Jamaicans seeking a career, which has no doubt influenced these academically accomplished youngsters to enlist.
Your high quality training has covered all aspects of conventional and unconventional military operations. Emphasis was also placed on areas to make you rounded soldiers in a modern society, such as the History and Role of the JDF, the Core Values of the JDF
(Courage, Loyalty, Commitment, Honour, Integrity and Discipline), the Law of Armed Conflict, Unarmed Combat and Internal Security
Operations. This training is designed to meet the needs of the JDF at a time when it continues to transform itself to remain current and
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ROLES AND FUNCTIONS
The nature of the training is closely aligned to the ten roles undertaken by the Jamaica Defence Force in fulfillment of its Mission
- “to provide military capability to deter and/or defeat threats against the Jamaican state and/or its interest.” These roles are:
• Defend against external aggressors
• Internal Security
• Disaster Relief
• Support to other government agencies and departments
• Monitoring and control of airspace and maritime areas of
jurisdiction
• Counter-Terrorism
• Peace Support
• Regional Cooperation; and
• State Ceremonial Duties.
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Given this diverse range of responsibilities, it is clear that the JDF offers a most comprehensive, multifaceted personal development experience available to Jamaicans, and you are all very fortunate to have earned the opportunity to be a part of this noble institution.
I need not say to anyone here just how serious a task these soldiers have signed on to. The value to the nation of defence and security professionals, in the face of current and emerging threats to National
Security, is inestimable. The threats to our national security are real, and include: terrorism, narco-trafficking, arms dealing, trafficking in persons, gang violence, and the list goes on. In Parliament we have passed new laws, and amended others, to bolster our criminal justice system. But it is the security forces and the operational arms of law and order that must enforce duly authorised power to maintain the rule of law.
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In the Jamaican context, the JDF is often required to work with and lend assistance to the Jamaica Constabulary Force, to provide a more effective response to the challenges posed to our national security by organised criminal networks with international connections, and the pervasive sub-culture of violence that has emerged in our country. The JDF currently supports the JCF on a continuous basis, with its Regular and Reserve Infantry battalions.
The core values of the Jamaica Defence Force are the guiding principles that must influence your attitudes and regulate your behaviour. These core values are the all-encompassing guidelines for every aspect of your duties. What are these core values? I will try to identify some of the salient ones:
• Discipline, that drives all activities, enforces order, and nurtures
the spirit of the group and morale;
• Integrity, which fosters trust and garners wider support to
enable the more efficient execution of tasks;
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• Honour, which is the strength of character that requires you to
execute your duties impartially, from an appreciation of your
overriding responsibility to our beloved Nation;
• Commitment, which is the sense of dedication that obliges
you to pursue excellence in every endeavour, and which is
the foundation of your reliability and professionalism;
• Courage, which is the ingrained capacity to meet danger
and adversity with fortitude, resilience and resoluteness, and
underlies the tenacity and strength of character without which
the battle cannot be won; and
• Loyalty, which is the steadfast allegiance to the Constitution of
Jamaica and unswerving devotion to duty as honourable
members of the Jamaica Defence Force.
As civilians, we owe you a debt of gratitude for making us feel significantly safer, knowing that you have chosen to dedicate yourselves to standing watch over this great country and protecting us from threats, both within and outside our shares.
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It is the established professionalism of the JDF that gives confidence to our people that criminal elements cannot capture the State and destroy our society. It is the JDF’s institutional commitment and adherence to discipline and the highest standards of conduct that are the final buffer upholding our democratic traditions and freedoms, amidst the decadence and chaos that often surrounds us.
I implore all of you here today to be proud of that discipline and those standards of conduct, and to always respect and uphold them. If you see evidence of anything which may tend to undermine the discipline and high standards of conduct which is the foundation of the reputation of the JDF, I urge you to resist it, and to do whatever may be required, within the bounds of the law, to prevent the decay of the discipline and standards which makes the
JDF stand out on the Jamaican landscape as a beacon of hope and confidence.
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The bottom line is that the reputation and effectiveness of the JDF, one of Jamaica’s finest institutions, now lies in each of your hands.
Please cherish, protect and nurture the established discipline and standards, so that the JDF continues to resist those negative forces which threaten to destroy our civilisation.
I close by once again saying congratulations to you graduands.
Welcome to a new career as military men and women. Thanks and congratulations are also due to the family members who have supported you along this journey.
Happily, today is not the end of a journey, but arrival at the starting line of what will hopefully be a long, rewarding and enjoyable tour of duty in the Jamaica Defence Force. I wish you well.
Thank you.
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