Up to date: Apr 17, 2022 06:27 PM
Mixed operations: Royal Bermuda Regiment Commanding Officer Lieutenant-Colonel Ben Beasley (third from left) at Quantity 10 Downing Road, the UK Prime Minister’s official residence, with the commanding officers of different Abroad Territories’ armed providers throughout a convention on joint working ({Photograph} equipped)
The commanding officers of British Abroad Territories’ navy models from around the globe have joined forces for the primary time to create energy in numbers.
A complete of six navy officers, coordinated by Lieutenant-Colonel Benjamin Beasley, the CO of the Royal Bermuda Regiment, met in London to debate methods the armed providers may assist one another.
Colonel Beasley mentioned: “We recognized a number of shared challenges, but in addition we have been capable of conduct plenty of self-help and talk about issues the UK International, Commonwealth and Improvement Workplace might not have been conscious of and get a bit bit extra assist from the Ministry of Defence and the FCDO.”
He added topics mentioned included catastrophe aid, maritime safety, cybersecurity and joint police and navy operations.
Colonel Beasley mentioned: “The RBR has plenty of expertise in catastrophe aid and joint operations with the police – we’ve been a pacesetter in these areas for a number of many years.”
He added: “This is a vital step – it’s concerning the maturity of the militaries within the Abroad Territories, it was our choice to brigade with one another quite than being informed what to do.
“We now have determined to coach and work collectively the place it’s attainable to take action and share our experiences and options to issues we have now come throughout.”
The Cayman Islands Regiment, the Turks & Caicos Islands Regiment, the Royal Gibraltar Regiment, the Falkland Islands Defence Pressure and the Royal Montserrat Defence Pressure have been all concerned within the talks, held earlier this month.
The Cayman and Turks & Caicos armed providers have been solely just lately arrange and troopers from each have educated in Bermuda.
Lieutenant-Colonel Simon Westlake, a Royal Marine and UK Defence Attaché to the Caribbean, Brigadier Lord Lancaster, the Honorary Colonel of the CIR, and representatives from the FCDO additionally took half within the conferences.
Colonel Beasley mentioned: “I’m proud to say that Bermuda took the lead on this. By means of the many years of native and abroad operations, it appeared applicable to succeed in out to our colleagues and take a look at methods we are able to work collectively higher.”
He defined that stronger hyperlinks between the providers would result in higher responses in any disaster.
Colonel Beasley added: “The UK’s Ministry of Defence and FCDO proceed to provide us super assist.
“So long as we’re correctly educated and ready, we are able to execute operations with one another way more economically and with better pace, with out having to depend on models being dispatched from the UK.”
He mentioned: “We’ve performed coaching with the Royal Gibraltar Regiment earlier than – our histories are considerably related and we have now a lot in frequent with the Caribbean forces.
“With a Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessel and a Royal Navy patrol ship within the area, there are platforms from which we are able to function, individually and collectively.
“Having a shared historical past and lots of cultural similarities, it’s very straightforward to work collectively, though every regiment is exclusive to its personal territory. Our reporting traces are related, however there isn’t a one place we report in to.”
Colonel Beasley added: “The newer regiments are discovering challenges, however they’re additionally discovering new and distinctive options which we’re taking again to Bermuda.
“It’s to our benefit to hunt optimistic alternatives to enhance the best way we do some issues.”
He was talking after RBR Main Preston Gill final month accomplished the Multi-Company Gold Incident Command Course in Miami, Florida, organised by the FCDO.
The workshop, additionally taken by Performing Superintendent Jerome Legal guidelines of the Bermuda Police, was designed to coach senior personnel within the uniformed providers for lead positions in multi-agency responses to main emergencies.
Colonel Beasley mentioned that troops from Turks & Caicos would be part of the RBR on its abroad coaching train on the US Marine Corps’ Camp Lejeune in North Carolina subsequent month and it was anticipated troopers from different Abroad Territories would do the identical subsequent 12 months.
