June
2002
Chief of Staff Welcomes First Intake of
Soldiers Under His Command
The first intake of soldiers to join the ranks of the Jamaica Defence Force
(JDF) since Rear Admiral Hardley Lewin took over command as Chief as Staff
was personally welcomed by him into the JDF family at the Passing Out Parade
held at Moneague Training Camp, St Ann on 08 June 2002.
The Chief of Staff inspected the Parade and delivered the main address;
though not unusual for a Chief of Staff, it was a momentous and unique
occasion as this was the Admiral’s first public address since he spoke at
the Change of Command handover /takeover ceremony in May 2002. The recruits
of Intake Number 85 were not only the first intake to pass out under his
command but were now also the first, on the eve of their transition into the
military from recruits to trained soldiers, to be made privy to the
disposition and expectations of the new Chief of Staff.
I formally welcome each of you into the family of the Jamaica Defence
Force, Rear Admiral Lewin told the recruits," As long as you remain true
to the core values, act in accordance with the laws of the land and the rules
and regulations of the JDF and performed to the required standards, you will
always have a place in the JDF military family."
The Chief of Staff reminded the graduates that they had volunteered to join
the JDF. He congratulated them for successfully completing the training
which he described as "rigorous and difficult". He then cautioned them not
to go back to the behaviour and attitudes they had as civilians advising
them that military sanctions were severe. He told the graduates that they
were different from others in the society and that they were to remain
different. He said they were different because they were soldiers, different
because they were now part of a military culture and different because a
considerable amount of money had been invested to provide them with world
class training. Finally, he told them to “Enjoy the JDF, enjoy your
service.”
Many family members and scores of well-wishers braved the wet weather to
witness the Passing Out Parade. Despite the rains which fell during the
ceremony, the onlookers continued to support the soldiers with their
presence sheltered under umbrellas.
From a total of 150, 133 had successfully
made it through the 21-week recruit training which commenced January 2002 at
the Training Depot, Newcastle and was completed at the Moneague base camp.
With the exception of Portland, the graduates were from the other 13
parishes of Jamaica with the Kingston Metropolitan Region having the largest
representation, a total of 63.
The Chief of Staff used the occasion of the Passing Out Parade to thank the
representatives of the armed forces of Canada, United States and the United
Kingdom for the support their country had given the JDF over the years to be
able to train soldiers to world class standards. The admiral thanked the
instructors for the excellent training they had conducted. He also thanked
the young soldiers’ families for allowing the military to borrow them. He
assured the families that they were not loosing them but he hoped to borrow
them for the next 22 years.
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