New CI Regiment commander coming from Trinidad

| 02/03/2023 | 86 Comments
Colonel Roger Carter, Cayman Islands Regiment, Cayman News Service
Colonel Roger Carter

(CNS): Colonel Roger Carter, a career military man from Trinidad and Tobago, has been appointed as the new commanding officer of the Cayman Islands Regiment and is expected to take up the post in April. Carter was selected following an open competitive recruitment process that attracted a broad field of candidates, officials from the governor’s office said. They were interviewed by a panel that included Commander Robert Scotland of the Cayman Islands Coast Guard and chaired by Governor Martyn Roper.

Carter succeeds Lieutenant Colonel Simon Watson, a former UK Royal Dragoon Guard, who was appointed three years ago to establish the regiment. Sir Alden McLaughlin, who spearheaded the initiative while he was premier, said at the time that it would provide a pathway for Caymanians to receive training and become officers.

In a press release announcing the appointment of Col Carter, Roper expressed his gratitude to Col Watson for setting up the regiment from scratch with UK training and assistance, particularly given the global pandemic. Roper said the regiment added value to Cayman’s humanitarian and disaster relief efforts, providing additional resilience to the emergency services in many ways.

The Cayman Regiment has focused on helping with severe weather events and other community issues, from storms to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is able to deploy quickly to clear roads, deliver first aid, desalinate seawater and feed hundreds of people using a self-sufficient solar-powered kitchen.

According to the governor’s office, Col Carter, who joined the army in Trinidad in 1989, is an experienced officer with significant humanitarian and disaster relief expertise. In 2011 he was appointed assistant chief staff officer (operations) at the National Military Headquarters, where he was responsible for joint, inter-agency and multi-national operations as well as management of the Inter-Agency Counter Terrorism Team. 

He was defence and military attaché to Washington DC with accreditation to Canada, and the head of delegation to the Inter-American Defense Board from 2018 to 2021. Col Carter has an MSc in National Security and Strategic Studies and is pursuing a PhD in Criminology.


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Category: Local News

Comments (86)

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  1. anonymous says:

    Is this 2023 or 1823??

    What a crackpot idea to have a “regiment”. Something to put on the governor’s CV, perhaps?

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  2. anonymous says:

    This foolishness (a Caymanian “Regiment”) continues to clutter the media. Look, this has been an invention from the get-go by a U.K. appointed individual intent on furnishing his CV for the next posting. Get real, Caymanians.

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  3. Anonymous says:

    “…and is pursuing a PhD in Criminology”, making Cayman the logical academic venue for thesis material.

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  4. Anonymous says:

    What a senior position. It going to a Caymanian? Oh the outrage. Surely someone with zero qualifications and no experience should have got this post just because they are Caymanian. C’mon Wayne you said Caymanians first!

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  5. Anonymous says:

    Before we get too excited! The regiment is British and under the Governor, don’t expect there to be a pro Caymanian sentiment in an entity that answers to the UK Government and is legally authorized to shoot enemies both foreign and domestic!

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  6. Anonymous says:

    Only Caymanians, selective UK citizens and other British Overseas Territory persons and personnel active in the UK military or another B.O.T. Regiment should be allowed to command our Royal Cayman Islands Regiment. All others are a national security risk that we do not need to have to afford. This includes Jamaica.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Good god man. This exactly why we need people from other countries here. look no further than the dump

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      • Anonymous says:

        However valid your comment may be with regards to many areas of operation in Cayman, this is not one of them unfortunately. If a Caymanian is not yet ready to lead it should indeed have gone to another UK or BOT person imho.

        • Anonymous says:

          And what was wrong with the incumbent – ex British Army officer who was not costing the tax payer a full time salary for supervising a handful of people.

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          • Anonymous says:

            It would seem that the politicians had an issue with the fact that he was a white expat. Just like all the other white expats that they’ve got rid of since they took over.

    • Anonymous says:

      Entitlement mindset never disappoints.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Who knew we had an expert in national security risks amongst us?

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    • Anonymous says:

      Biggest national security risk we have are corrupt politicians. Regiment no use for that. Mind you, our law enforcement and governor can’t even stop MPs not being breathalysed, so no hope there.

  7. Anonymous says:

    KMFT just like how 95% of our police is Jamaican, you mean tell me say there wasn’t a single Caymanian that could get this post?! Sick and tired of us slowly becoming a minority here while expats clog up the roads!

    I’m a born and raised generational Caymanian that is fully qualified with degrees. I applied for an advertised post at MRCU – a fkn government entity – and guess what? Not even an interview!! Found out from a friend that works there that they hired an expat for the same post.

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    • Anonymous says:

      12;54. incident language doesn’t make you employable.

      I doubt any caymanian even applied for this job. Why are we against bringing in seasoned talent to train Caymanians.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Could it be that the other applicant may have been more hireable in the end?

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    • Anonymous says:

      How many Caymanians have military leadership experience? No thought not.

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      • Anonymous says:

        Actually a few. But I doubt any of them applied for this post for their own reasons. Mostly because they retired from that lifestyle. The question is ‘how many actively in military leadership that would want to switch career paths to this’ and then the number drops to likely 0 I agree.

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    • Anonymous says:

      And are your degrees and experience relevant to the job?

  8. Rod says:

    WOW! Colonialism is alive and well in Cayman, they can’t be trusted to run their so-called own boy scouts.

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    • Anonymous says:

      When did Trinidad colonize the Cayman Islands? I’ll hang up and listen. Thanks.

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      • Anonymous says:

        Started in around 2005, but is gaining traction quickly.

        • Anonymous says:

          Look at the number of QC’s(now KCs) handed out to that nationality and when they got them they left immediately. With few exceptions they come and take but rarely give.

    • Hubert says:

      Rod, Get with it. Do you not know we are still a colony or an Overseas Territory.

      If you want independence go for it and bring on a Jamaican type society very fast.

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  9. Anonymous says:

    Wait, so the original guy was gotten rid of because the job needed to go to a Caymanian, and then they hired another expat. Literally just looks like they replaced a white guy with a black guy but whatever.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Yep, apparently this Government has a thing against white expats, there’s a long list of them that have been axed since the new Government got in.

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      • Anonymous says:

        There is actually some substance to this comment. Would be very interesting to actually see what the current nationalities profile for those employed by the whole of CIG is. FOI request CNS ?

        CNS: Anyone can make an FOI request and you can do so anonymously by email. Let us know what you find.

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        • Big Bobo In West Bay says:

          10:47, Something like between 25 to 30% of the employees of the CIG are expats.

          Why do you think that is the case?

          Caymanians run the show politically and the bureaucracy. Let the CIG dismiss all of them and watch the CIG collapse.

          One does not have to be a genius to know that with our lackluster educational system there is no way Caymanians could replace all those expats.

          We need to get our act together with education if we want to displace all those expats in CIG.

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        • Realist says:

          There may be anti-expat discrimination in other areas, but this isn’t one of them.

          The Cayman Regiment, the purpose of which is disaster relief, contrary to hyperbolic assertions by earlier commmentators, is moving from a part-time to a full-time CO.

          That’s the only reason that the current CO is leaving: he didn’t want the job on a full-time basis.

          • Anonymous says:

            That’s simply not true, the job was made full-time in order to force the current CO out, this ‘Regiment’ does not need a full-time CO, but this was an easy way for the politicians to get rid of someone with the wrong color skin.

      • Anonymous says:

        With Saunders in the #2 spot and Wayne as useless as tits in a bull you can expect a lot more

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      • Anonymous says:

        Pushing highly trained experienced and educated employees out, after tens of thousands of dollars invested in them, no matter the nationality, race, religion or sex to make way for those with much less or no experience or education for positions would be absurd anywhere but here.

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        • Anonymous says:

          It’s still absurd here, but they ignore that inconvenient fact as it doesn’t suit their agenda.

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      • Anonymous says:

        Not just white expats. They are worse with white Caymanians. This is the most racist government we have ever had. Especially so from GTC and BT.

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  10. Anonymous says:

    Because Trinidad is such a safe place?

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  11. Hopeless Caymanian says:

    Seriously we need to import another foreigner. These positions need to be CAYMANIAN ONLY. We even have expats on YouTube claiming to be local lmao 😂. We are being pushed out of our country and neither government gives a fuc$. Real caymanians are struggling. There needs to be a freeze on work permits the country is literally falling apart. Can’t drive anywhere without almost being crashed into or stuck in traffic for hours. Cheap labor being imported everyday making it impossible to get a decent paying job. This place is bursting at the seams. There are too many people here. It feels like being a prisoner in your own home.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Do you feel better now? Why dont you enlist and work your way up To commandant. I bet you are like a lot of other people want to start a the top.

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      • Anonymous says:

        i am wondering if all the credentials this guy possess are really necessary to head up the Cadets? If so they will be better trained than the police. Perhaps they should have recruited him for the RCIP.

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      • Anonymous says:

        Self entitlement traditons.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Point me to a Caymanian who has the QUALIFICATIONS for the job ??? you know the stuff real people need for jobs … not whu ya fah !!!

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    • Anonymous says:

      I doubt any Caymanians have experience in running a regiment of soldiers, probably has something to do with that freedom from conscription thing. I agree that there are too many unskilled people on this island, and it is bursting, driving is like playing russian roulette with your life and that of your family, but in all honesty – I can’t think of a single government outfit that is fit for purpose.

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      • Anonymous says:

        There are many. And several in the Regiment right now already. Caymanians that are Ex Military of US, UK, CA, AUS and are Caymanians even though they served in foreign militaries around the world. Caymanians that are highly qualified, educated, trained and ‘Always Ready’. There just are not enough of us for every job and to be depended on solid. Gov here enjoy the employment of expats, so that we can uninterrupted control over foreign workers. Caymanians have the privilege and luxury of being able to pay foreign workers and having great talented persons here, on an invisible leash so to speak. At the end of the day overall, Caymanians have total and absolute control over the expat. Expats just keeping the door open and seats warm for Caymanians. No disrespect intended. The expats are aware if this fact, and respect this as we are not a super country that can promise anything significant for the future to outsiders. Caymanian is not a piece of paper or born here. It’s a unique genetic ethnicity that is only subscribed to in our blood.

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        • Anonymous says:

          And exactly which racial profile does ‘Caymanian’ fall into? Considering the original settlers were known to be British, Irish, and Jamaican. Followed by Hondurans, Cubans, and almost every other Caribbean and world racial mix, please tell, to which genetic profile do you subscribe?
          And I’m not aware of any senior officers of Cayman origin who have commanded anything of note in any credible military force.
          Cayman doesn’t need a ‘military’ service, it only needed a properly funded and trained urban search and rescue organisation that could be deployed domestically or regionally. Running around in fatigues and pretty uniforms doesn’t equate to credibility or effectiveness, the CICG is prime example of that.

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        • Anonymous says:

          A unique genetic ethnicity subscribed to in our blood – wow! Don’t think I have seen anyone claiming nationalist purity and superiority based on bloodline since the Nazis. But even if that was a thing, don’t you think all the cross breeding with outsiders ranging from Hondurans to Jamaicans has diluted out that unique genetic ethnicity by now🤣

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        • Anonymous says:

          @3:36pm – you are pretty delusional. Your “blood” birthright was sold out long ago by Generational Caymanian Politicians and landholders.

          If it makes you feel better you can call Caymanians who don’t fit your criteria of blood subscription “expats” but that doesn’t change anything.

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        • Anonymous says:

          WOW. A unique genetic ethnicity? 😂 😆 😝

          Like that one.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Do you know if any Caymanians either applied for the post and have the qualifications?

      That being said, there should definitely be a succession plan to make sure that Caymanians are trained to take up these kinds of posts when they become available.

      I assume that the committee who appointed Colonel Carter knew that there would be a backlash about him not being Caymanian, so there must not have been a qualiied Caymanian candidate for them to make this decision.

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    • Anonymous says:

      https://h2g2.com/entry/A4503683

      Written almost two decades ago, and while much has changed with the place, the mindset of entitlement hasn’t in the least.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Delusional nonsense. All of us know Caymanians who are excelling in the workforce and are leaders of tomorrow.

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    • Big Bobo In West Bay says:

      Hopeless Caymanian,

      We live on 3 dinky islands with a sub par public educational system. We simply do not produce enough highly skilled and educated Caymanians.

      That is the sad reality.

      If we had a trade school on island we could start training Caymanians for skilled positions and start cutting back on work permits. Better yet, 25% of all jobs in CIG are filled by expats. Why? Simple answer we don’t have the skills here.

      So please cut the B.S. about CAYMANIANS ONLY. Start training them and we will have a solution.

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      • Anonymous says:

        Trade schools are a good idea in theory, but the most heavily funded public education system in the world needs serious mending first.

        Good luck with that. Pass the rum.

  12. Anonymous says:

    Fantastic choice!

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  13. Anonymous says:

    We have a regiment?

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    • Anonymous says:

      Alden snuck it in. Roper supported it.

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    • Anonymous says:

      We have an under recruited rifle company rather than a battalion, let alone a regiment. Commanded by a Lt Colonel no less, paid more than twice what a professional UK Lt Colonel would be paid. In the UK the “regiment” would be the equivalent of a Territorial Army company, commanded by a part time volunteer major.

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      • Realist says:

        You can’t pay UK salaries in Cayman: the cost of living here is too great, it’s often impossible for their spouse to be employed the same as back in the UK, and schooling here costs far too much.

        Try offering a UK OF3 salary, as you propose, and see how many applicants you get…

  14. Anonymous says:

    Cayman is the land opportunity for every body else!

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