The Tribune

MIDSHIPMEN Darron Bethel, Owen Sands, Dwight Storr and Thomas Thompson are the newest additions to the Royal Bahamas Defence Force officer corps. They successfully completed the rigorous seven-month Royal Young Naval Officer Training Course in England. The course, conducted at the Britannia Royal Naval College in Dartmouth, is designed to prepare naval/ military cadets for the important leadership and management positions they will assume. The four young officers were trained in areas such as militarisation, leadership, navigation, strategic studies, meteorology and ship technologies. The Initial Sea Training Phase took the four midshipmen out to sea for 10 weeks. Midshipmen Sands and Storr were assigned to the British warship HMS Albion and midshipmen Bethel and Thompson were assigned to the HMS Bulwark, a landing platform vessel. A 2001 graduate of the South Andros High School, Midshipman Sands joined the Defence Force in February 2005 Midshipman Bethel is a 2003 graduate of Old Bight High School in Cat Island who also enlisted in February 2005. He is the child of Chief Petty Officer Roland Bethel. Midshipman Storr is a 2005 graduate of Old Bight High, and he enlisted in the Defence Force in October 2007. Midshipman Thompson graduated from North Eleuthera High School in 2002 and joined the Defence Force in May 2008. The young officers were officially welcomed home by Commodore Roderick Bowe, who presented them all with a book entitled "Naval Leadership - Voices of Experience". Photo one: The midshipmen being congratulated by Commodore Roderick Bowe. From left: Midshipman Dwight Storr, Midshipman Owen Sands, Commodore Roderick Bowe, Midshipman Thomas Thompson and Midshipman Darron Bethel. Photo two: Commodore Roderick Bowe presenting Midshipman Owen Sands with a book entitled "Naval Leadership - Voices of Experience". RBDF Photos by Able Mechanic Al Rahming