Acting Commander Defence Force, Captain Tellis Bethel, along with his support staff travelled to the Southern Bahamas on board Defence Force Aircraft C6-AWO commanded by Lieutenant Greer Martin. Captain Bethel visited Long Island, Crooked Island, Acklins Island and San Salvador on Monday to assess the impact of relief and restoration efforts the Defence Force is having on communities within the islands devastated by Hurricane Joaquin.

Captain Bethel travelled to the Islands where he received feedback from residents that were all positive and welcoming but most importantly, he wanted to hear from his troops, the Marines on the ground. He wanted to know what was their level of morale, living and health conditions, and any other challenges his troops might have had during their deployment. Captain Bethel also took the opportunity to personally thank the Marines for their hard work and dedication, and the new relationships they have forged within the affected communities through their relief and restoration efforts. He applauded the enthusiastic Marines for their hard work, invaluable service and commitment to service.

It’s not easy being the head of such a multifaceted Force especially when you’re pretty busy dealing with countless meetings, ceremonies and appearances. As a leader, however, one must find the time to get on the ground and provide a show of support for the men and women whom one is privileged to serve.

Before during and after a Hurricane Joaquin, Officers and Marines had to leave their children, spouses and loved ones behind to answer the call of duty. In doing so, they had to sacrifice the luxuries of comfort and security of their homes to help others in need among our Family of Islands during this most recent national emergency.

Defence Force Marines are now out on the Islands working tirelessly every day in providing support to residents alongside Island Administrators, Chief Councilor’s and members, and volunteers, who speak very highly of the Marines. These Marines are helping to restore the “regular way of life” for those who are still shell shocked in the aftermath of Hurricane Joaquin. They are presently assisting with the repair (or covering) of leaking roofs, cleaning out flooded homes, cutting and removing fallen trees, clearing roadways, removing debris from yards, helping to decontaminate the water systems by clearing water wells, repairing schools, providing security, and salvaging materials from completely destroyed homes.

Defence Force Marines will be deployed among the Family for the long haul; though relatively small in number at just under 1350 Marines and Officers, the Defence Force is very large at heart when it comes to helping others in need. “We are the ant that will lift the burden of the southern Islands on our back to help bring them home to a state of normalcy.”

The Royal Bahamas Defence Force continues to strive towards achieving greater success in fulfilling its mandate to “Guard our Heritage.

[recent_posts animation=”” animation_delay=”{animation_delay}” animation_delay_item=”{animation_delay_item}” animation_iteration=”{animation_iteration}”]2

Need Help? Send a WhatsApp message now

Click one of our representatives below

Public Relations
Public Relations

Media Assistance

We're Online

We're Offline

Operations 24/7
Operations 24/7

We're Available