The Royal Bahamas Defence Force recently completed the official roll out of its information operations campaign, MARLIN SPIKE, on January 25 – 27, 2017. The ongoing campaign is aimed at heightening public awareness of Defence Force duties, taskings and activities especially in regards to safeguarding the people of The Bahamas, as well as the marine and environmental resources of the country.
Additionally, the campa…ign is designed to enlist public support for the efforts of the Defence Force in rebranding its long standing motto, ‘Guard Our Heritage’. During the rollout of the campaign, a series of meetings were held with relevant organizations and interest groups, including Marina Operators, the Recreational Boating, and the Environmental communities.
There was notable turnout and feedback from the groups that attended the various town hall type meetings in their respective fields. The meetings were hosted by The Association of Bahamas Marina Operators, The Bahamas Port Department and The Bahamas National Trust and also attended by senior officers of the Defence Force. Attendees pledged their support to the initiative and were eager to join the fight in ‘Guarding our Heritage’. Promotional items were distributed including a Smart Card which was a combined effort of the Defence Force, Fisheries, Customs and Immigration Departments with do’s and don’ts for visitors to The Bahamas.
During the meetings, the Defence Force revealed its two dedicated telephone numbers 362-3714 and 376-3816 for reporting suspicious activities in and around Bahamian waters. Also during the launch, the official Operation Marlin Spike Facebook Page was published for messaging or posting inquiries, commendations and concerns.
Speaking about his hope for the ongoing campaign, Captain Tellis Bethel, Commander Defence Force (Acting) told the participants gathered that the move was primarily designed to take the Force’s communication level from a “monologue to a dialogue” by inviting feedback from stakeholders. Captain Bethel thanked the host agencies as well as partner agencies and the general public stating that ‘our strategy is aimed at ‘Guarding Our Heritage’ and protecting our natural resources for generations’ and that it is anticipated that public support for our strategy will exponentially increase our reach and effectiveness.
(Photo courtesy of RBDF Public Relations department)