WRITTEN BY: CHANEL SPENCE From JIS

Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Rear Admiral Antonette Wemyss-Gorman, has pledged to lead by example as the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) confronts the challenges to the nation’s peace and security.

Rear Admiral Wemyss-Gorman, who was addressing the Change of Command Parade at Up Park Camp in Kingston on Friday (January 21), called on members of the Force to commit to serving in the interest of the entire nation.

“Together we must act with urgency as we prepare for the challenges ahead and shape the security of this country for our children and grandchildren for years to come,” she said.

“Our defence force must maintain its steadfast support and commitment to our citizens and work diligently to defeat the threats to our collective safety and security existence.

“I will lead by example, and encourage every service member to execute their duty, cognisant of all core values and committed to the mission. We must do our jobs well and to the best of our ability as we strive to achieve our collective goals,” she added.

The 29-year veteran of the JDF, pledged to continue the modernisation of the Force, to better enable the entity to carry out its role of defending the nation at sea, land, in the air and cyberspace.

She said that her efforts will be aligned with the Strategic Defence Review (SDR), which charts the JDF course up to the year 2037.

Rear Admiral Wemyss-Gorman said she intends to “leverage the Caribbean Military Academy to educate the members of the Force, consistent with our trajectory of transformation, thereby influencing the region and impacting the world”.

She noted that focus will be placed on professional military education and proficiency at all levels, noting that gender-neutral opportunities for leadership and development will be prioritised.

She said that the Jamaica National Service Corps (JNSC) will remain a “critical tool” for the contribution of national youth engagement and the Force’s long-term goals.

Rear Admiral Wemyss-Gorman told the men and women of the Force that she will fight in their interests, but also hold them accountable for your actions.

“I will leverage my strengths and that of my senior leadership team to serve you and the people of Jamaica. I am reminding every service member to be guided by our mantra, ‘Mission, Men, Merit’. Every one of us has the capacity to contribute to humanity,” she added.

Meanwhile, Lieutenant General Rocky Meade, who turned over command of the JDF to Rear Admiral Wemyss-Gorman, said it was a privilege to have served as head of the defence force.

Lieutenant General Meade is retiring from the JDF after 38 years, the last five as CDS.

“Everything that I’ve done is designed to make you more effective operationally and to be able to carry out your duties effectively, while ensuring that I was securing the intellectual, spiritual and mental well-being of all of you. It was my privilege,” he said.

Lieutenant General Meade said he is pleased that both the Government and the Opposition had welcomed the 20-year SDR, which was updated recently because of the COVID-19 protocols, noting that the process was chaired by Rear Admiral Wemyss-Gorman.

“The importance of both the Government and Opposition welcoming the SDR, …is not focused on which party may be in power, and we hope that the plan is sufficiently generic and relevant that it can apply to any government policy position,” he noted.

Rear Admiral Wemyss-Gorman is Jamaica’s first female CDS. She has served the JDF with distinction in several capacities and is the first and only woman to attain a Flag Rank.

She was Brigade Commander, Maritime Air and Cyber Command (2018/19) and Commanding Officer of the Coast Guard (2013/18).

She played a key role in the establishment of the Caribbean Maritime Military Training Centre (CMMTC) along with the development of the core courses offered at the Centre for the training of personnel across the region in military maritime operations.

In January 2020, Rear Admiral Wemyss-Gorman assumed the post of Force Executive Officer (FXO) with the responsibility to provide strategic guidance to the Force in support of the transformational vision of the then Chief of Defence Staff.

As the FXO, she formulated and directed Force policies while coordinating all the staff branches responsible for the daily operation of the Force.