Editorial

Lieutenant Colonel L.H. Graham, MSc psc

Welcome to the final edition of Alert for the 20th century which aims to evaluate and analyse the fundamental rules, principles, traditions and core values on which the Jamaica Defence Force is built, and to give readers a measure of where we are heading. Significantly, the cover shows brilliant sunshine, which truly reflects the level of hopefulness and confidence in our ability to fulfil our mandate, as we march into the new millennium. Contributors in this issue have focused their minds on our strengths and have highlighted our shared vision, unity of purpose and determination to make the most of these assets in the 21st century.

As you leaf through this 18th edition of Alert appropriately titled, "The Way Forward" you will understand that the Jamaica Defence Force takes seriously its mission to assist in nation building through the acquisition and utilization of appropriate technology which will enhance our efficiency and ensure greater accountability. Everything the Jamaica Defence Force does is built around the concept that the soldier is its greatest asset, and this edition points to the need to make the development of our human resources a priority for the future. Members of the Jamaica Defence Force are prepared to assist in enhancing environmental protection which is so vital to sustainable development.

Despite budgetary constraints, the Jamaica Defence Force is determined to robustly protect the nation and sustain Jamaica’s role as a key player in any regional security system. More than ever before, national security is inseparable from regional security and certainly demands a coordinated and cooperative approach to cope with the many and varied transnational threats which now exist in the region. One of our interesting articles points to the collaborative relationship between the Jamaica Defence Force and the Jamaica Constabulary Force and indicates a continuing effort to draw on core competencies to improve our collective effectiveness. Additionally, we will continue to provide the social amenities through community projects in the troubled areas, via our "hearts and minds" campaign which should bring about a better quality of life in the depressed areas of our society. It must also be noted that although our operational deployments have been drastically reduced, we will continue to prepare ourselves for our primary missions and core functions.

We are particularly proud of our Web Site which was launched earlier this year. The article indicates that we will not be overwhelmed by new technology, but we are determined to keep abreast of such innovations and use them to our advantage.

The magazine represents a labour of love by a dedicated team of professionals who have worked tirelessly to produce it, but without sponsors there would be no Alert. We owe a debt of gratitude for their generous patronage in making this publication possible.

We hope that this issue will stimulate debate on development issues as they affect the Jamaica Defence Force, thereby strengthening public understanding and support. The more the public knows about what we are doing the more we can work together to achieve our objectives. We hope that after reading this issue you will agree that the Jamaica Defence Force is taking a firm step into the 21st century.