A total of thirty-nine (39) Marines nominated throughout various sectors of the Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF) for Marine of the Year were honored during the RBDF Annual Carol Service held on Monday, December 19, 2022, at the HMBS Coral Harbor Base. The Carol Service is a a military tradition in which personnel from all units attend to share in the festivities of the season and show camaraderie. The Marine of the Year Award is geared towards shedding light on service members who display exemplary behavior, military bearing, teamwork, and reliability.Bringing remarks was Minister of National Security, the Hon. Wayne Munroe, KC, who noted that despite a challenging year, members of the RBDF continued to devote themselves fully to the service and for which the Government of the Bahamas is truly grateful.Commander William Sturrup, chairman of the committee, noted that the choice of candidates made this year’s decision a difficult one as he also expressed the organization’s appreciation for the endless support received by corporate sponsors over the years and the lifelong partnership built in supporting such an amazing initiative. Awarded Marine Seaman of the Year was Marine Seaman Jermaine Johnson; awarded Able Seaman of the Year was Able Woman Marine Alexis Miller; and awarded Leading Seaman of the Year was Leading Seaman Jevonne Simmons. The recipient of the Leon Livingston Smith Award was awarded to Leading Woman Marine Karia Smith as the overall Marine of the Year for 2022. Each nominee received certificates of appreciation and category winners received additional gifts from the RBDF Exchange and other corporate sponsors. Also in attendance was Mrs. Cheryl Darville, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of National Security; Commander Defence Force, Commodore Raymond King; RBDF Executive Team Members; RBDF Chaplain, Apostle Raymond Wells, corporate sponsors: Dr. Don Deveaux of Oak Tree Medical and Mr. Hal Shears of Auto H&L.The ceremony concluded with the ‘Captain’s Rush’, a junkanoo display by RBDF members who paid homage this year to the late Force Chief Petty Officer Dwayne Bethel, an avid junkanoo artist. The parade consisted of two groups, the Begal and the Showtime group, with the Showtime group being declared the winner of the parade.It is the strategic intent of Commander Defence Force, Commodore Raymond King to develop a professional and high-performance workforce focused on excellence and talent management, where well-deserving members are recognized and awarded for their exemplary services.
