Antigua & Barbuda Defence Force - Personnel
The ABDF in its first thirty years of existence adopted a highly liberal training philosophy. This has allowed for the development of a highly professional military organization with the capacity to adopt, overcome and transition. It is expected that within our next thirty years, the Force’s ability to remain flexible, to adopt and overcome may be driven by a greater sense of liberalism.
From 1981 to present ABDF personnel have been trained in Guyana, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, Belize and St Kitts and Nevis with regional partners. Internationally ABDF partnered with the armed forces of the United States of America, Canada, England, China and most recently Brazil; it also developed and maintained a relationship with France with whom it had had a number of soldier exchanges.
The driving force behind all training is expected to be an evolving threat environment buoyed by transnational issues (terrorism, the illegal narcotics trade, the proliferation within an environment of small arms and light weapon along with human smuggling). Without question the intent to move towards a maritime (marine) force will lend significantly to addressing the threat environment; it is anticipated that it will also entail a shift in the training focus.
Much of these efforts will also be directed towards the development and diversification of the Force’s middle management (NCOs’). ABDF was confronted by what might be considered a human resource deficit within this group. This portion of the Force’s leadership is aging and it is anticipated that within the next decade a significant amount of knowledge and experience would be lost.
A well known, well tested and tried method comes to mind as a possible solution to our dilemma; the mobile training team (MTT). Training a large number of soldiers for a fraction of the cost is not only attractive to participants but also to those who manage the budget. This is indeed an option that will be more closely explored and utilized in the coming years.
During the early years of the ABDF MTT’s were used as a mean of getting personnel to the desired level to lead as well as to manage the Force’s limited resources. This methodology proved most efficient particularly during the preparation of ABDF contingents to participate in Operation Urgent Fury in Grenada. In later years the Force was able to capitalize on this relationship to develop the Commando school at the Crabs Training Area as well as with the development of a senior NCO program. One might suggest that the draw of saving cost while achieving training objectives and keeping personnel in country to address our operational requirements may be the key ingredient in adopting this option.
Without a doubt the operational tempo of the Force has intensified over the past ten years both domestically and regionally. Personnel have been deployed to Grenada, Barbados, St Vincent and the Grenadines and Haiti.
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