The Royal Bahamas Defence Force extends sincerest condolences to the family of the late Force Chief Petty Officer (FCPO) Dwayne Bethel, who passed away on 31 March 2022. Force Chief Petty Officer Bethel enlisted in the Defence Force as a member of Entry 24 on May 8, 1989. After successfully completing basic New Entry initial training at Coral Harbour Base, he was assigned to the Military Operation Platoon. He also served in several departments including the Force Protection and Military Police Department, the Port Department, and the Base Civil Construction & Maintenance Unit. A decorated Senior Enlisted, FCPO Bethel was a member of the second CARICOM contingent to Haiti from 1994 – 1995. There, he joined fellow peacekeepers from several other countries that would be known as a Peacekeeping, or Operation Uphold Democracy. Affectionately referred to as “Heavy D”, Bethel, he rose to the non-commissioned rate of Warrant Officer, the highest rate of an Enlisted within the organization. He was instrumental in assisting in the construction, renovations, and upgrades to numerous infrastructures throughout the Defence Force’s Coral Harbour Base and satellite bases, which also include other government facilities and residential homes. The Commander Defence Force, Commodore Dr. Raymond King extends sincerest condolences on behalf of the members of his Executive Command, Officers, Warrant Officers, Non-Commissioned, and Junior Marines of the Royal Bahamas Defence Force, and himself to the family and friends of the late Force Chief Petty Officer Bethel. It is our prayer that God’s grace will comfort and guide you during your time of bereavement.
