Major General Lord Mark Lancaster Visits Cayman Islands Regiment
Cayman: Major General Lord Mark Lancaster Visits Cayman Islands Regiment and Attends Training Day
24 February 2026
Corporal Blackwood
he Cayman Islands Regiment welcomed Her Excellency the Governor, Jane Owen and Major General the Rt Hon Lord Mark Lancaster TD VR, Honorary Colonel of the Regiment to observe regimental training activities on Sunday, 22 February.
Major General Lord Lancaster is the senior British Army Reserve officer and a member of the UK House of Lords. He previously served as the United Kingdom’s Minister for the Armed Forces and played a central role in supporting the establishment of reserve regiments in the UK Overseas Territories, including the Cayman Islands. He was appointed Honorary Colonel of the Cayman Islands Regiment on 2 July 2021.
Corporal Pett
As Honorary Colonel, his role is strategic and symbolic rather than operational. Since the Regiment’s establishment, he has remained a consistent advocate for its long-term development, supporting increased Caymanian participation and leadership growth, encouraging cooperation between Overseas Territory Regiments, and promoting joint deployments, including the recent humanitarian assistance and disaster relief mission in Jamaica following Hurricane Melissa. He has also supported efforts to reduce the cost of UK military training courses for Cayman personnel, including officer commissioning opportunities at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.
Observing Training and Operational Development
During the visit, Major General Lord Lancaster met with the Governor and Premier to discuss the Regiment’s continued development and the United Kingdom’s ongoing support.
LCpl Redde
He observed training activities including JCB-enabled route clearance, chainsaw operations, and medical training informed by lessons identified during recent operations in Jamaica. He also received briefings on succession planning as the Regiment progresses toward full Caymanian leadership, and updates on its first overseas operational deployment.
The visit included a review of the Regiment’s current vehicle maintenance facility and an aerial tour of the island, including the proposed new site for vehicle and equipment maintenance located in the Northward area of Bodden Town.
LCpl Smith
Promotions and awards
The training day included the promotion of several junior leaders:
* Trooper Ezra Redden to Lance Corporal
* Trooper Eric Turner to Lance Corporal
* Lance Corporal Conrad Britton to Corporal
* Lance Corporal Daniel Petts to Corporal
Awards were presented to Lance Corporal Edward Smith (Top Attendance 2025) and Corporal Julius Blackwood (Top Junior Non-Commissioned Officer 2025, as voted by peers).
The visit demonstrates the continued partnership between the Cayman Islands and the United Kingdom in building a sustainable, locally-led Regiment focused on disaster response, humanitarian assistance, and strengthening national resilience.
