A total of 82 Ranger Trainees graduated from the Royal Bahamas Defence Force Rangers Leadership Training School on Friday past. This was the culmination of a 3-week long program where the trainees between the ages of 12-20 years were pulled away from their usual daily comforts and immersed in an accelerated leadership program.
Participants in the dynamic program represented Rangers from High Schools in New Providence, Grand Bahama, Abaco, North Andros and the Berry Islands. The young Rangers were broken up into focused programs that included the Rangers Marine Candidate Indoctrination Course, Ranger Officer Training Course, Ranger Advanced Officer Training Course, At Risk Youth Reconditioning Course and the Ranger Band Indoctrination Course.
Also included in the Rangers’ Leadership camp was a job preparedness workshop for the Antiquities, Monuments and Museums Corporation (AMMC) historic regiment cadet. This was aimed to prepare the Ranger graduates for the workplace as well as serving as tour guides in the AMMC’s Historical Regiment Cadet Core program.
Topics and activities covered at the Ranger Leadership School included Positive Self-Awareness, Conflict Resolution, Right Choices, Field Expeditions, Self-Control, Problem Solving, Negotiating, Etiquette, Public Speaking, First Aid, Leadership, Physical Training, Positive Attitudes and Behaviors, Developing good work ethics, Band drills, and a host of others.
Commodore Tellis Bethel, Commander Defence Force, hailed the program as one designed to prepare Rangers for employment in the Defence Force or the commercial maritime sector. The program also encourages Rangers to pursue their vocational interests or academic studies beyond high school. He stated that youth have an important part to play in national development and that the Defence Force’s Rangers program is preparing them for such a role.
The Commander Defence Force thanked the Director of the Rangers program, Lieutenant Delvonne Duncombe, Ranger Instructors, the Defence Force Officers and Marines, as well as representatives from the Rangers Parents In Action Group for the outstanding work they did in making the program a success. He also expressed the Defence Force’s appreciation for the support of corporate sponsors which included BTC and Bahamas Waste Ltd. Additionally, he thanked the principal and staff at Program SURE for making their facilities available.
- Rangers who received outstanding awards during the program included:
Rangers Officer Candidate Course - Best Male Recruit – Dikembe Wilkinson
- Best Female Recruit – Xaria Laing
- Rangers Band Indoctrination Course
- Best Male Band Cadet – Arawn Rolle
- Best Female Band Cadet – Malania Oliver
- Rangers Advance Officer Candidate Course
- Most Outstanding Cadet – Judy Forbes
- RBDF Familiarization Program
- Most Outstanding Cadet – Destiny Seymour
