The Tribune

By EARYEL BOWLEG

Tribune Staff Reporter

ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

A MEDICAL doctor, a psychologist and a lawyer are among the Royal Bahamas Defence Force’s (RBDF) reserve training programme graduates.

Reserve Senior Lieutenant Delano Rolle is a military psychologist. He will help the force with mental health issues.

“The military life can be a very stressful life, causing individuals to experience a myriad of issues ranging from depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, substance use and abuse,” he said yesterday.

“My presence here as a professional in the field of psychology is to help the Royal Bahamas Defence Force as we move forward and as we have to navigate our men and women so that they can have the best possible value of life.”

Reserve Senior Lieutenant Edmund Turner is a lawyer with 24 years of experience. He said being a reserve officer allows him to complement the force and help with internal disciplinary partners from a legal perspective.

“The most profound moment for me would have been the physical exercise and the evolutions that take place,” he said of his training. “I never experienced that type of physical exertion in my life, but through the grace of God, I was able to pull through. And so, for me, it was an achievement, irrespective of the pain and the hurt.”

Reserve Senior Lieutenant Sean Knowles worked as a doctor at the Sandilands Rehabilitation Centre and has a private practice.

He was asked to come to the Royal Bahamas Defence Force last year to provide medical services to the commodore and the RBDF.

“I consider the medical facility to be my home, and so what I’m doing right now is simply just making it official,” he said.

Commodore Raymond King said through reserve officers, the RBDF can solicit professionals with their own competencies and skill sets. He added the force has recruited several people with expertise in various fields.