Col. Lemuel A. Lindo OD, JP, CCM

As we celebrate Founders Month this year my message is even more applicable to all our stakeholders, cadets, other ranks, leaders in civil society, parents and guardians, private sectors and of course our adult ranks and officers. These are very challenging times. Despite the good intentions of government the economic climate has forced upon us the necessity to roll back on our approved plans for the expansion and development of our force.

This however, should not tempt us to adopt a state of inertia. Already our band and drums division is leading the way for excellence. Many of their members have earned distinction in their Royal Society of Music examinations and continue to make us proud on every occasion on which they perform for the public. Several of them have received the Commandant's award of commendation.

We are also leading the way in regional cooperation as we continue to support the Grenada Cadet Force in particular in their revival and development and the rest of the Caribbean in general in their capacity building.

While we await funds for the expansion programme, we have targeted our leadership development to be another area of priority. We have revised and expanded the scope of our training of officers and NCOs, to ensure that we remain relevant and true to our mission of influencing our young people to show excellence in citizenship, discipline and leadership, and most importantly to reach for the stars in terms of self actualization. We have established officer training units in several of our tertiary institutions. We expect the graduates from this programme to alleviate one of the critical deficit factors impacting our expansion and development; that of leadership at the unit level.

In our sixty seventh year of contribution to our nation, I wish to thank all of you stakeholders, especially in such dynamic and challenging environment as we are now experiencing, for your continuous contribution to the betterment and enrichment of our force.

Finally I ask of you that when you, the leaders, staff and instructors are about to make a decision ask yourself the question: How will my action or decision benefit the people I command and Jamaica as a whole?

Let us therefore go forward with resolute devotion, will and energy to make our force a better organization and Jamaica a better country to the benefit of all people. After all is said and done, we must come to the realization that we are one people, one nation under God.

Lemuel A. Lindo OD, JP, CCM

Colonel

Commandant