The Defense Force of Trinidad and Tobago celebrated the addition of 214 recruits to its team at a ceremony conducted at the Teteron Barracks military base in Chaguaramas.
The event was spearheaded by the Minister of National Security, Fitzgerald Hinds, and notable attendees included the Chief of the Defense Staff, Air Vice-Marshal Darryl Daniel, Deputy Chief of the Defense Staff, and Brigadier General Dexter Francis, among others.
Out of the 214 newcomers, 121 have been allocated to the Regiment (Army), 42 to the Coast Guard, and 51 to the Air Guard.
In his address welcoming the recruits, Deputy Provost Marshal Daniel urged them to “maintain professionalism, be answerable, and ensure they are ready for public scrutiny, as well as meeting the expectations of the citizens, the Defense Forces, and the Government.”
The Defense Force of Trinidad and Tobago was instituted in 1962, post the country achieved its independence.
It’s an assembly of various divisions: the Regiment for land operations, the Coast Guard for maritime, the Air Guard for aerial responsibilities, and the Reserve.
The Regiment, equipped with approximately 3,000 soldiers, comprises four battalions: two Infantry, one Engineers, and one Service Support, amongst other units.
In conjunction with the Bahamas, the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard boasts the most advanced fleet in the insular Caribbean.
The fleet is led by a 1,000-ton displacement patrol vessel built by China’s CSSC Huangpu Wenchong Shipbuilding Company (HPWS), followed by two Cape patrol vessels from Australian shipbuilder Austal and six vessels from the Dutch Damen.
It includes four Stan Patrol 5009-type patrol vessels and two Fast Crew Supplier 5009-type support vessels, all recently built.
The Air Guard’s inventory consists of various aircraft, including two Fairchild C-26 Metroliner electronic surveillance and maritime patrol aircraft, four Leonardo AW139 helicopters, and a certain quantity of MBB (now Airbus Helicopters) Bo 105s, among others.
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