By LR LiburdThe St. Kitts-Nevis Observer
Monday (July 18) had marked 19 years since the Regular Corps of the St. Kitts-Nevis Defence Force (SKNDF) was reactivated and there was no better way for its administrators to celebrate this significant milestone than hosting an Exhibition and Career Fair to attract able-bodied, intelligent young men and women to join its ranks.
The event, which was held at the Independence Square from 9:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., saw hundreds of nationals and residents of St. Kitts and Nevis as well as visitors to the Federation in attendance; many of whom expressed their amazement at some of the sophisticated exhibits and the ingenuity of the soldiers in making use of ordinary things in their surroundings to survive under extremely harsh conditions.
A number of tents were erected in the Independence Square under which various equipment and military tools of trade were on display, as their functionalities were explained and questions answered mainly by knowledgeable junior ranks from the Infantry and Coast Guard Units.
Under one of the tents that housed the Coast Guard’s exhibits, many sophisticated equipment and gadgets were seen. One of them was a small but long cylindrical gadget with a screen at one end and a tiny camera at the other. It was explained that this gadget is used for locating contraband items, including illegal drugs, that are concealed within a vessel’s compartments that are unreachable by hand or sight.
Members of the Coast Guard also had on display diving equipment and many gadgets, including Global Positioning Systems, to assist them in search and rescue operations at sea, as well as those used for damage control.
Under the Infantry Unit tents, spectators had a firsthand view of both ancient and modern firearms used by armies the world over. These firearms included the ancient Musket, Vickers Machine Gun, the General Purpose Machine Gun, G3 Rifle, SLR, HK11, M60 Machine Gun, M16 Assault Rifle and a variety of pistols.
However, the area on display that drew the most interest was the Jungle Alley.
A certain area in the Square was converted to demonstrate how soldiers live, fight and survive in the jungle. On display were one and two-man night shelters constructed from ponchos, ‘lean-to’ constructed from the limbs and saplings of trees, beds made from tree limbs and leaves, and hammocks made from canvas slung between two trees with the use of vines.
Interestingly, the soldiers demonstrated how one can construct an off-the-ground fireside with triangular legs and use large pieces of bamboos as cooking utensils. The cooking demonstration was live and many visitors were offered a few delicious pieces of what the soldiers called “Tree Mutton” – Monkey Stew.
The presence of the Military Band was felt from 12 noon as its members provided a variety of melodious musical renditions, much to the delight and appreciation of the crowd.
In an interview with The Observer, Commander of the SKNDF Lieutenant Colonel Patrick Wallace spoke to the significance of the event.
“Today, we are celebrating the 19th year of the activation of the Regular Force. Normally, we would have an Open Day at Camp Springfield and the Coast Guard Base in Basseterre, where members of the general public can visit the Bases and be exposed to the activities of the Defence Force. This year, however, it is being done with a little difference, whereby we are having the exhibition here in the Independence Square.”
Lt Col Wallace explained that the reason for the event being held at the Independence Square, while noting that its dual purposes.
“The main purpose is to expose the general public to what the Defence Force does, and rather people have to walk all the way up to Camp Springfield and the Coast Guard Base, we basically decided to have it at a central location.
“It is also a recruiting opportunity, as it exposes our young people to the different career opportunities within the Defence Force and parents could come and see what their children are doing since they joined the Force.”
He said that the opportunity not only exists for young people to become members of the Regular Force, but also the Reserve Corps.
The Commander explained that the SKNDF was formed in 1896, “basically as a Volunteer Force, shortly after the Portuguese Riot”, and that its manpower came from the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force’s Tactical and Special Services Units.
He said that some years later, the regular arm was initiated and in 1967 its members had thwarted the efforts of a planned coup. But in the early 1980s, the Regular Force was disbanded leaving only the Reserve Corps. However, on July 18, 1997, the Regular Force was reactivated to carry out its mandate in service to the people of St. Kitts and Nevis.
