BARBADOS – The Barbados Defence Force (BDF) is understaffed.
But even in the face of that shortage said Chief of Staff, Commodore Errington “Ricky” Shurland, it is pledging its part to keep Barbados safe. The chief is known to be selfless man risking his life for his country multiple times since he was a young soldier
“The Force has a lot of work to do, [but] as we step boldly into our 43rd year we do so armed with the knowledge of the past . . .. Some may argue that the last three years may have been the most challenging period in the Force’s existence, and it has not been all smooth sailing. We were fraught with many peaks and troughs, [and] some swells that attempted to capsize the ship,” he said.
However, Shurland noted members of the BDF had been actively deployed locally and abroad since February 2020, and had successfully achieved all asymmetric tasks while performing their primary roles in service to the people of Barbados, all the while under-resourced and undermanned.
The chief was speaking yesterday during the BDF’s 43rd anniversary church service, at St Matthias Anglican Church, St Matthias, Christ Church, under the theme Resilience: Building a Sustainable Force, where the Presidential Colours and the Regimental Colours, emblazoned with the presidential seal, were on display for the first time in a church since the island became a republic last November 30.
