The islands that make up the Caribbean are thought to be some of the most beautiful places on earth. Sought out by tourists without ceasing, the Caribbean is a jewel. But behind the walls of tourism, warm sunshine and beautiful scenery, lies more serious issues. What if tragedy were to strike? What if terrorism was at the root of it?
There is no doubt that the very serious question should be asked, is the Caribbean equipped to resist terrorism? We will all have our opinions on whether or not the Caribbean is ready for something like this, but I urge you to think of the worst case scenario here – hypothetically of course.
Now then, how do we define terrorism? We go to the Oxford dictionary, which defines it as the unlawful use of violence and intimidation, especially against civilians, in the pursuit of political aims. From the outside looking in, the Caribbean may seem vulnerable to tragedy and attack for a number of reasons:
Smaller age gap for human resources in armed forces
Quite a number of Caribbean countries do not have all the necessary resources in place to fight terrorism should it arise. Let’s use Jamaica as an example. If a terrorist attack were to happen, its military and constabulary forces might have quite the battle ahead of them. For minor offenses – and I use the word minor here rather loosely – members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force, particularly those assigned to the Counter-Terrorism and Organized Crime Investigation Branch (C-TOC) would be summoned, and if things were to take a turn for the worst and a state of emergency is called, then the Jamaica Defense Force would be first on deck. But do we have enough trained armed and military agents ready to serve their country should the need arise?
In order to become a member of the Jamaica Defence Force, applicants must be between 18 and 23 years old. Applicants with tertiary level education are accepted up to age 25 and would enter at the level of officer. In Trinidad and Tobago, applicants are accepted between the ages of 18 and 25. In the United States, applicants are eligible for the army up to age 34 while other areas of the armed forces accept applicants as old as 39 years old.
In his article published in the Jamaica Gleaner in March 2010, Carl Gilchrist advised “In the United Kingdom (UK), the age limit is a little lower. At 16 and a half years, you can enlist in the British army. At that age, though, you will not be able to take part in operations but will have to wait until you become 18. At the other end of the scale, the maximum age for recruits has been raised from 26 to 33, the change meaning servicemen and women could remain in uniform up to age 55 in the UK.”
To continue reading, purchase Vol.8 #5, 2016 Issue.
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The islands that make up the Caribbean are thought to be some of the most beautiful places on earth. Sought out by tourists without ceasing, the Caribbean is a jewel. But behind the walls of tourism, warm sunshine and beautiful scenery, lies more serious issues. What if tragedy were to strike? What if terrorism was at the root of it?
There is no doubt that the very serious question should be asked, is the Caribbean equipped to resist terrorism? We will all have our opinions on whether or not the Caribbean is ready for something like this, but I urge you to think of the worst case scenario here – hypothetically of course.
Now then, how do we define terrorism? We go to the Oxford dictionary, which defines it as the unlawful use of violence and intimidation, especially against civilians, in the pursuit of political aims. From the outside looking in, the Caribbean may seem vulnerable to tragedy and attack for a number of reasons:
Smaller age gap for human resources in armed forces
Quite a number of Caribbean countries do not have all the necessary resources in place to fight terrorism should it arise. Let’s use Jamaica as an example. If a terrorist attack were to happen, its military and constabulary forces might have quite the battle ahead of them. For minor offenses – and I use the word minor here rather loosely – members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force, particularly those assigned to the Counter-Terrorism and Organized Crime Investigation Branch (C-TOC) would be summoned, and if things were to take a turn for the worst and a state of emergency is called, then the Jamaica Defense Force would be first on deck. But do we have enough trained armed and military agents ready to serve their country should the need arise?
In order to become a member of the Jamaica Defence Force, applicants must be between 18 and 23 years old. Applicants with tertiary level education are accepted up to age 25 and would enter at the level of officer. In Trinidad and Tobago, applicants are accepted between the ages of 18 and 25. In the United States, applicants are eligible for the army up to age 34 while other areas of the armed forces accept applicants as old as 39 years old.
In his article published in the Jamaica Gleaner in March 2010, Carl Gilchrist advised “In the United Kingdom (UK), the age limit is a little lower. At 16 and a half years, you can enlist in the British army. At that age, though, you will not be able to take part in operations but will have to wait until you become 18. At the other end of the scale, the maximum age for recruits has been raised from 26 to 33, the change meaning servicemen and women could remain in uniform up to age 55 in the UK.”
To continue reading, purchase Vol.8 #5, 2016 Issue.
Share this post: