Trinidad and Tobago Defense Force
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guide | |||
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Commander in Chief : | President of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago | ||
Military Commander: | Major General Kenrick Maharaj | ||
Military strength | |||
Active soldiers: | 4,000 | ||
Conscription: | No | ||
Eligibility for military service: | 18th | ||
history | |||
Founding: | 1962 |
The Trinidad and Tobago Defense Force (TTDF) represents the 4,000 soldiers strong military of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago . It is divided into the armed forces Army ( Trinidad and Tobago Regiment ), Air Force (Air Wing), Coast Guard and reserve units .
Introduced in 1962 after the country gained independence, it is the largest military unit in the English-speaking Caribbean. The TTDF is subordinate to the Ministry of National Security . The Commander in Chief is the President, currently Paula Mae Weekes . Major General Kenrick Maharaj is Chief of Defense Staff . The TTDF has the world's only military steel band , the Trinidad and Tobago Defense Force Steel Orchestra .
Army (Trinidad and Tobago Regiment)
The army includes the so-called Trinidad and Tobago Regiment with 2,800 soldiers.
It was set up in 1962 from parts of the West India Regiment . The regiment is divided into a headquarters and four battalions :
- Regimental Headquarters at St. James (Camp Ogden)
- 1st Battalion ( Infantry ) at St. James (Camp Ogden)
- 2nd Battalion (Infantry) in Chaguaramas (Camp Mausica)
- 3rd Battalion ( Pioneers ) in Wallerfield (Cumuto Barracks)
- Support Battalion in Chaguaramas (Teteron Barracks)
Air Force
The Air Wing , founded in 1966, has:
Aircraft | Country of manufacture | operation area | version | in stock | Working time |
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Swearingen C-26B Metro | United States | Maritime reconnaissance | 2 | 2000– | |
AgustaWestland AW139 | European Union | Maritime reconnaissance / SAR | 4th | 2011– |
In addition, the National Security Operations Center (NSOC) has the following helicopters:
helicopter | Country of manufacture | operation area | version | In stock | Working time |
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Eurocopter AS 350 | France | Transport helicopter | 1 | ||
Sikorsky S-76 | United States | Transport helicopter | 1 | ||
MBB Bo 105 | Germany | Transport helicopter | 2 |
Military Commander in Chief
Initially, the role of Commander of the Defense Force was linked to being the commander of the Trinidad and Tobago Regiment. It was not until 1970, when the already retired Joffre Serrette was reactivated, that the command functions were separated. Since 1979 the Commander-in-Chief has been called the Chief of Defense Staff.
Period | Commander in chief | Life dates | |
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Commanders of the Defense Force | born | died | |
1962-1964 | Lieutenant Colonel Peter Leslie Pearce Gould | 1919 | 1979 |
1964-1968 | Colonel Joffre Charles Harold Serrette | 1916 | 1988 |
1969-1970 | Colonel Stanley Johnson | ||
1970-1976 | Brigadier Joffre Charles Harold Serrette | 1916 | 1988 |
1976-1979 | Commodore Mervyn Oliver Williams | 1929 (?) | 2003 |
Chiefs of Defense Staff (CDS) | born | died | |
1979-1991 | Brigadier Joseph “ Joe ” L. Theodore | 1935 | 2013 |
1991-1993 | Major General Ralph Newton Brown | ||
1993-1999 | Brigadier Carlton “ Carl ” Alfonso | 1944 | |
2000-2002 | Brigadier John Chrisostom Edmund Sandy | ||
2002-2006 | Brigadier Ancil Wayne Antoine | ||
2006-2010 | Major General Edmund Ernest Dillon | 1955 | |
2010–2012 | Brigadier Roland Garth Maunday | 1957 (?) | 2014 |
2012-2015 | Major General Kenrick Maharaj | 1959 | |
2015-2017 | Brigadier General Rodney A. Smart | ||
since 2017 | Captain Hayden Pritchard |
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ TTWhistleblower.com: Is Rodney Smart getting an extension? Retrieved July 21, 2018 .
- ↑ LoopTT.com: New Chief of Defense Staff replaces Major General Rodney Smart. Retrieved July 21, 2018 .