Careers

 

Jamaica Defence Force

Joining as an Officer



Commissions

There are two types of Queen’s Commissions open to men and women who wish to join the Jamaica Defence Force as officers – the  Regular Commission (RegC) and the Short Service Commission (SSC). Both RegC and SSC are open to university graduates (of any academic discipline) as well as to non-graduates.

Regular Commission

The holder of a Regular Commission must complete 12 years service and may reasonably be expected to serve for up to 22 years. Where vacancies exist RegCs can be granted to those who have satisfactorily completed basic officer training. If there is no RegC vacancy, a Short Service Commission will be offered, with the opportunity to apply later for a Regular Commission.

Short Service Commission

The Short Service Commission is awarded for a minimum of five years for men and three years for women from completion of basic officer training. Upon recommendation, an officer may apply for a Regular Commission on completion of two years service.

Eligibility

Candidates must fulfil the following requirements:

    Age

    Candidates should be between the ages of 18 to 23 years on entry into basic officer training. However, persons over 23 years may be selected if they hold academic qualifications which would make them suitable for employment in the technical or other specialised fields.

    Educational Qualifications

    Minimum educational requirements for Regular or Short Service Commissions are five GCE O’ Level or CXC General Proficiency passes, including Mathematics and English Language, and at least two ‘A’ Level passes (Grades A-C) or equivalent.

    Nationality Requirements

    To be eligible for selection a candidate must be a Jamaican citizen and normally must have been a Jamaican citizen ever since birth.

Selection and Training

In addition to the previously indicated requirements applicants must also pass the JDF medical examination and Officer Selection Board before being selected for training. Successful candidates are appointed to the rank of Potential Officer and sent to the JDF Training Depot at Newcastle, St Andrew where they are integrated into the standard recruit training programme. Based on their performance, Potential Officers are then selected for basic officer training overseas at one any of the following training institutions:

Royal Military Academy Sandhurst,
Camberley, England

Commando Training Centre, Royal Marines
Lympstone, England

The Combat Training Centre
New Brunswick, Canada

Royal Air Force College
Cranwell, England

Britannia Royal Naval College
Dartmouth, England.


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