MoD team working on CI military
(CNS): A British Ministry of Defence team was in the Cayman Islands last week to advise on establishing the proposed local military regiment. Commander Con Burns, Major Renny Bulmer and Major Ed Dutton, members of the British military, met key stakeholders, including Premier Alden McLaughin and Home Affairs Minister Tara Rivers, during a three-day visit, which is part of a scoping exercise to work out the logistics of Cayman’s venture into the defense business.
The UK officers spent time with the Hazard Management Cayman Islands, Cayman Islands Red Cross, the Cayman Islands Cadet Corps, the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service and the Cayman Islands Fire Service, as well as meeting and speaking to former Cadet Corps members and volunteers about their thoughts on how the concept could move forward.
To begin with, the team has been asked to identify what logistical advice, operational training, equipment and general support the Cayman Islands will need from the UK to set up the regiment. The aim is to create a specially trained defence force to boost security and disaster management capability in Cayman that could also be deployed to other Overseas Territories in times of need.
The premier revealed that the UK was supporting the proposal last month during a visit to the Cayman Islands by the British minister for the armed forces, Mark Lancaster.
“The idea of a local reserve force goes back some years now to the aftermath of Hurricane Ivan,” McLaughlin said in a release about the visit by the UK military officers. “A specially trained Cayman Islands regiment will have a positive impact on youth development and leadership in our Islands. It will also give a boost to security and increase our resilience on disaster management and the support we can offer across the wider Caribbean.
“I look forward to receiving the report from Commander Burns, Major Bulmer and Major Dutton following their conversations locally and once they have completed their recommendations on moving the initiative forward,” he added.
Head of the Governor’s Office, Matthew Forbes, said they were pleased that the team was able to carry out a review so soon after the minister’s visit.
“This initial scoping will provide us with a roadmap to ensure that the regiment can be formed and be effective as soon as possible,” he stated. “The regiment’s role in humanitarian and disaster relief will be a key area and it is important that HMCI and the CI Cadet Corps are fully involved with the design of the new unit.”
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Category: Local News
if cayman goes independent..as a native i leaving…can you immagine mla’s in charge of police? judiciary? lord gelp us….
What a bunch of baloney with some of the far fetched comments. Don’t people realize Bermuda has a regiment. And they came to our aid after Ivan. It’s the same principle being applied I am sure, but only we are more central and could be deployed.
This will be staffed with lunatics from Jamaica and other third world countries. Just like the police force, the prosecutors office, shall I continue. How is it that the only Caribbean island that has completely lost control of every institute of equality and power except the LA is Cayman. You all haven’t learnt anything in the 15 years I have been here and you will continue to be marginalized and over populate the prisons, soon to come GHETTOS that are being created. You will be looked at with stares and frowns when you enter places like Caymana Bay, many upscale bars and restaurants etc, and will realize your birth right by nationality is no longer in control of this once paradise your forefathers worked so hard to build. You are quickly becoming heavily pressured by overly liberal and leftist figures and voices/instigators and are starting to see the plagues that come with it.
They really trying to kill us all. Watch dem release armed forces after the referendum. Bet.
The big question is who will be the person in overall control of what this regiment does. If it is whoever is premier, forget it.
If the same model is used as for the Bermuda Regimant, it’ll be the Governor who is C-in-C of any future Cayman Regimant. Defence and Overseas relations are reserved to the UK Government, not the LA
Are we really going to do this? We’re seriously going to let McKeeva Bush, Anthony Eden, Dwayne Seymour, or other such highly successful Caymanian politicians have an army to play with?
Unna insane or what?
Imagine the likely results? War declared on Belize. Annual coups with Cayman’s lone British surplus tank parked at the steps of the LA. Civil war fought between Grand Cayman and Cayman Brac. Anti-gay legislation enforced by bayonet. Or, at the very least, lots and lots of money wasted.
No. Please. Just no.
If we need more security, then hire and properly train more police. If we need better response to natural disasters, then hire and train reserve firefighters and paramedics.
#lame
Captain Mainwaring ! They don’t like it up ’em.
Seriously though. Who will be recruited for Alden’s Army ? We can’t get enough recruits for the police service, so where will army recruits come from ? Overseas recruits would be akin to hiring mercenaries.
And if (when ?) there is an army, what are they fighting against ? (or defending us from, if not ourselves ?) Surely the prevention of drug- and gun-running is already the responsibility of the revamped customs force.
So what next, is there to be an uprising by Cayman’s “oppressed masses”, most of whom are better off, on average, than in any other Caribbean territory. Or will it be the liberal left and the LGBT community, forcing equality for all ? And at any protest, do you see Caymanian soldiers shooting or baton-charging other Caymanians ?
Or maybe Cayman is Russia’s or China’s next target for expansion (ha-ha).
All this talk of a military force is just more smoke & mirrors to detract from the Port referendum. Don’t be fooled.
If this goes ahead, we should recognize our limitations and officially name it “Dad’s Army”.
This would be good, we’ve seen what damage hurricanes can do, and the support that other countries have needed, having our own unit here would be useful
I think this is a good idea, to have a professional, trained unit available to support in times of disaster would be great. Plus it might provide an opportunity for young people that has been lacking up to now.
CNS I think you’ll find that in the picture the man on the right is Commander Burns, the man on the left looks like someone from the JMU, either way, neither of them are Major Renny Bulmer (and Renny is the correct spelling!) 🙂
CNS: We would really appreciate any confirmed clarification (info@caymannewsservice.com) and freely admit that we could have this wrong. The media was sent a number of photos without info to identify who was in them, and we didn’t receive a response to a request for clarification. I’m not blaming GIS, as I’m sure they would have provided this if they could. In the meantime, I’ll just remove the caption. And thanks!
You’re welcome, – I thought that might have been the case! 🙂 – It’s def Commander Burns, I met him whilst he was here.
stop. just stop.
I think it’s a good idea. Cayman is a very very soft target. A single boat load of hell bent and well armed fanatics could wipe out a lot of people before any help could arrive.
Already here!
Mostly in East End too.
Except that’s not what they say the Regiment will be for. See the problem? Unclear priorities lead to conflict, confusion and mission creep which result in decreased capability despite increased cost. We (Cayman) need to be very clear on (a) what we want, (b) the real number of local recruits likely (what size Regiment is realistic) and (c) that a regiment is the best way to achieve (a) as opposed to, say, more special constables (trained for security supplementation) and a volunteer fire/EMT service (trained for emergency response) and maybe a trade school training the public (volunteers) with how to rebuild after things are smashed by a hurricane. You can even do it like the US National Guard, where the volunteers commit to a degree of regular training and to be called up for service when needed (we know your house is destroyed by the hurricane but the nation needs you over there policing/repairing the shelter instead) in return for payment during training and emergency response.
So will Government advertise overseas for recruits??! CI Defence Force on work permits or free status for recruits?
Cayman will soon be worse than a Communist nation. They already keep all the civil servants quiet. That’s how they have Cayman Brac and Little Cayman under control. Everyone works for government so they can’t talk about all of the corruption going on. Those CPR people better go Cayman Brac and have meetings about the port because if Moses and Julianna tell Brackers jump off the bluff they’ll do it.
The only reason Alden wants this is so that he can put down an uprising. Don’t be fooled Caymanians!! Look at what is happening in Hong Kong, and Chile, and Venezuela! The people protest against their inept leaders, and the government sends in the troops to crush the opposition. Alden is trying to put a protective barrier between HIM and US!
Fix the damn dump
Yep here we go!!