The ALERT magazine has always sought to detail the developments and accomplishments of the JDF and has done so with great pride. This year’s issue is no different, except that a deliberate effort was made not to centre the articles around a theme. Rather, the magazine has succeeded in encapsulating the previous themes through its intent to situate the JDF within the two great historic periods. ALERT 2000 recounts the events of the Force as they were in the 20th Century and simultaneously, embraces the 21st Century, by taking stock of our successes and giving consideration to the impinging factors that are charting the future course of the Force.

To this end the writers have taken a nostalgic look at the JDF and blended the two major historic periods. They focus on the great leadership provided by the officers, outstanding contributions made by soldiers, legendary episodes, the traditions and myths that are imbued in the Force. In a ‘Profile of a Leader’, ‘A Tribute to Dad’ and ‘Eugent Clarke – Veteran Extraordinaire’, the oldest known survivor of World War One, we see our strong and persevering heritage, which is also captured in the article, ‘Preserving Honour and the Warrior Spirit’ which speaks of our warrior spirit, evident in the Maroons then in our soldiers of the British West India Regiment. Rooted in these articles are the ethos and fundamentals of military life. The importance we place on traditions is brought out in ‘Drill – A Soldier’s Way of Life and ‘Our Men’s Dinner Tradition Lives On’. These tenets produce the proud moments in our history such as our soldiers at ‘Buckingham Palace’ and the ‘Tower of London’ in 1999, recounted in the article ‘Royal Guards’.

With similar courage, we face squarely the reality that our functions and effectiveness as a Force are inseparable from what is happening in the country as a whole. Articles such as – ‘JDF and Constitutional Reform’, ‘Keeping in Step’, ‘Coming of Age’ and ‘Fighting Crime to Protecting Communities’ draw attention to the complexities in our society. The feature on the operational stance of the Force – ‘Getting Ready for the Next One’, looks at how the Force is prepared for the next major confrontation, local or overseas. We recognise that the new century will have new demands for training and technology, hence the feature on our state-of-the-art helicopters with their multiple capabilities, to include, the thermal imagery capability, an aid in crime fighting. Other support Units are featured. The engineers, for example, continue to spearhead nation building projects; the Coast Guard, whose maritime responsibilities have increased to include protecting an enlarged Jamaica which grew from an island to an archipelago. Of equal importance is the National Reserve who are, ‘Keeping Abreast’, through training with international forces. ‘What’s in a Nickname’ and ‘Ghost in the Dump’ as well as the complementary photographs that abound throughout are guaranteed to bring back fond memories for many.