The Tribune

By MORGAN ADDERLEY

Tribune Staff Reporter

madderley@tribunemedia.net

A NEW class of Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF) recruits began training yesterday.

The group consists of about 120 recruits - New Entry 55 and Woman Entry 24 - who will undergo about 16 weeks of training.

When asked if he hopes the recruits will all become new members at the end of training, Chief Petty Officer Quentin Burrows, head of the RBDF’s training department, said: “(It is) our prayer, but…it’s a transition from civilian to military. Sometimes the pressure causes some to make decisions which they are old enough to make.

“Some of them may want to quit by the first night, the second week, but we encourage them to stay. Because it is only a phase that they go through. It’s an adjustment.”

Recruitment for both the RBDF and Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF) has been in the news in recent weeks.

Last November, the Nassau Guardian reported the training for these latest recruits was scheduled to begin on November 28, 2017. However, it was pushed back “due to an on-going review of the RBDF’s recruitment process”. The paper reported that Lieutenant Desiree Corneille did not expound on “the specific nature of the review”.

However, this announcement came just weeks after a report by Auditor General Terrance Bastian found an irregularity which proved that from 2003 to 2015, RBDF recruits were paid $600 less per year than they should have.

The salary entry point for officers is $18,600; yet the 833 people who enlisted between 2003 and 2015 only received $18,000 per annum.

Mr Bastian said to now pay $600 to each of these individuals would have a “monumental impact on public funds.” In fact, the impact on the Consolidated Fund could be as high as $435,000.

On Sunday, Minister of National Security Marvin Dames announced the RBDF recruitment process would finally begin on January 8.

While giving remarks at the annual RBPF Church Service at Zion Baptist Church, Mr Dames said: “It is noteworthy that the Cabinet has approved the hire of 120 defence force recruits and this recruitment process will commence tomorrow (Monday).

“The (RBPF) and the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services have all finalised their recruitment lists and these exercises will commence in a few weeks.”

This is significant for the police force because last December Mr Dames said that, according to a recent audit, RBPF recruitment numbers are down.

He told reporters the “numbers in the organisation have been declining as opposed to remaining constant or increasing.”