Commodore, Royal Bahamas Defence Force, Mr. Clifford Scavella

Officers of the Senior Command and Officers and Marines of all ranks

Chaplain, Royal Bahamas Defence Force, Rev Prince Bodie

New Entry Number 45, your Family and Friends

Ladies and Gentlemen, Good Afternoon:

New Entry 45, we are here to share a momentous occasion with you, your family and friends and the Senior Command, as you take your place in The Bahamas vital sea-going security force, the Royal Bahamas Defence Force.

This is my first official visit to the HMBS Coral Harbour, and I am pleased that it is to be a part of this exercise to congratulate the Defence Force’s 52 new Marines.

I am reliably advised, New Entry 45, that successfully completing recruits training for the Royal Bahamas Defence Force is a major accomplishment.

It is an accomplishment built on the commitment you made, and which you have kept.

It is built on the demands made of you, and which you met.

It is built on the sacrifices you made and the challenges you confronted head on.

Now, with your initial preparation behind you, you take your place as Defence Force Marines.

Our Defence Force is but 28 years old, but it reaffirms the important principle that an independent nation must guard and protect its sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The Defence Force has the mandate to defend our country, to protect its territorial integrity, to patrol its waters, to assist in times of disasters, and in conjunction with other law enforcement agencies, to maintain order.

The mandate given the Defence Force, New Entry 45, means that the Government and people of The Bahamas are depending on the Force as the first line of defence against challenges facing our country in its vast maritime territory of some 100,000 square nautical miles.

We know that the expanse of our territorial waters, our hundreds of islands and our strategic location on the sea lanes between Central and South America and the Caribbean and North America, makes us vulnerable to illegal activities of all kinds at sea.

For decades, a persistent illicit drug trade and an unrelenting flow of illegal immigration into and through our country have compounded our national security problems, challenged our law enforcement officers on land and sea, taxed our strength and fortitude as a nation, and burdened our national budget and resources. Poachers continue to violate our territorial integrity and to deplete our marine resources, and to give no thought to our fisheries management and conservation laws and initiatives.

Today, the serious national security challenges we face at sea extend beyond the persistent drug trade, illegal immigration and poaching in Bahamian territorial waters. Grave new problems are being packaged with the old, making our national security problems at sea and on land increasingly complex.

Arms and human smuggling, following to a considerable extent the drug and illegal immigration routes, have introduced significant law enforcement challenges of their own. In a country which produces no guns and which have strict laws governing the possession of firearms, the increase in violent crime using guns, particularly murder and armed robbery, are undoubtedly linked to the traffic in arms.

New Entry 45, in enlisting in the Royal Bahamas Defence Force, you have committed to being part of our country’s defence against the myriad national security challenges we face, particularly at sea. You are charged to detect, deter, apprehend and disrupt formidable adversaries, challenges that may involve danger and risk.

We have cooperative partners in our fight against transnational treats to our national security at sea. Indeed, we have stepped up cooperation with the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), in the Americas and internationally, and with our bilateral partners, including the United States of America.

You have, therefore, come to the Defence Force at an opportune time, when profound changes are taking place in the way the Defence Force does business, in order to meet all challenges head on.

New Entry 45, you should note, in particular, that you become Marines at a time when the Government has in place a strategic plan to strengthen the Defence Force through the acquisition of new assets and technology required by a Defence Force on the cutting edge of national security.

Assets are critical to our modernizing Royal Bahamas Defence Force, to be sure. The assets we acquire, however, will only be as effective as the Officers and Marines of the Defence Force make them. In fact, I must emphasise here that the strength and effectiveness of the Royal Bahamas Defence Force overall is dependent on the dedication and commitment of the men and women of the Force.

An effective Royal Bahamas Defence Force needs men and women who fully accept that the Force is a disciplined one, and that discipline will be expected of each Officer and Marine.

An effective Defence Force needs men and women who set high standards for themselves and that are persons of dignity and integrity.

An effective Defence Force needs men and women beyond corruption and reproach.

An effective Defence Force requires Officers and Marines that are an example that people, particularly young people, would want to emulate.

An effective Defence Force requires Officers and Marines willing to go above and beyond the call of duty, to guard our heritage.

Importantly, the Officers and Marines of the Royal Bahamas Defence Force require a supportive and progressive institution.

New Entry 45, each of you would have been driven by your own goals and aspirations to decide on a career in the Defence Force. There is, however, one overriding goal which I am sure you all share: to render patriotic and exemplary service to our country.

On behalf of the Government and people of The Bahamas, I congratulate and commend you, your family and friends, as you begin your journey as a Marine in the Royal Bahamas Defence Force.

I thank you.