I am Derrick A Brathwaite a Midshipman (Officer Cadet) in the Barbados Defence Force Coast Guard, and for the past three months I have been attached to the Jamaica Defence Force Coast Guard at HMJS CAGWAY. The time spent has been of tremendous benefit, as it has provided me with an invaluable wealth of knowledge and experience, complete with new friends and associates.

The time spent at HMJS CAGWAY has been all about learning and sharing information, both at the professional and social level. One of the hallmarks of the entire exercise was the time spent at sea, where I was challenged to demonstrate what was learnt in the classroom, on the navigation chart under some testing sea conditions.

The JDF CG has seen an increase in its responsibilities over the years as the government seeks to grapple with the economic and social existence of the society. Though the tasks have varied tremendously the resultant effects of the increased workload has had its toll on vessels and manpower. Like most of its other Caribbean counterparts (and most certainly Barbados) the JDF CG is face with the nagging problems associated with limited resources. Such as patrol vessels, technical resources in marine pollution and conservation. Last but by no means least dwindling resource as it relates to the anti-narcotic stance taken by the government and the various security forces.

Despite these limitations the JDF CG has made some creditable strides in its law enforcement program having ensured over the years that thousands of kilos of narcotics never reaches their intended destinations. The Coast Guard has also been able to offer its expertise in other areas of interest ensuring that whenever it has been called upon to lend assistance that it has done so with satisfactory results.

One of the areas I noted with special interest is the practice of keeping newspaper clippings (of things involving the Coast Guard and the JDF family as a whole) in a scrapbook. I was able to trace step by step and almost day by day the development of the organization from its inception to the present day. Despite being dominated by its military responsibilities the Coast Guard has been able to maintain many of its naval traditions and has been able to keep them quite alive and vibrant. Again one of particular interest to me is the practice of saluting in and out of uniform and with or without headdress.

As the resources of small developing countries continue to fade and as governments consolidate their efforts, Coast Guards throughout the region will be allocated additional responsibilities and called upon to work closer than ever with each other. It is therefore essential that the present vein of cooperation that is currently being fostered continue to be nurtured and encouraged. A greater interest and effort will have to be placed in our human resources if we are expected to function in a greater capacity. The Jamaica Coast Guard has already started this process and is well on its way to meeting the challenges that the next century will bring.