B.D.F. Wants New Training Academy for Non-Commissioned Officers  

Last week, the Belize Defense Force held a meeting to address disciplinary issues that need fixing. During the meeting, they announced plans to set up a training academy for non-commissioned officers. Brigadier General Azariel Loria, the B.D.F. Commander, shared more details about this initiative.

 

Brigadier General Azariel Loria, Commandant, B.D.F.

“Here in the Belize Defense Force, for a private soldier to start to climb the ranks, they have to do courses, promotional courses in part in particular.  And we do not have NCO school, per se, in the Belize Defense Force. So some time ago, about two or three years ago, we lobbied the United States Southern Command for them to try to assist us. And we had it in phase phase one was to  trainers, which has been accomplished. So we have, professional personnel, competent people that can impart lessons to be a Lance Corporal, Sergeant, all the way up to Sergeant Major. That is out of the way, but now what we need is a school proper to further develop the skills of them and to ensure that we have progression when it comes to that. We were lobbying the South Com to start with an auditorium somewhere that lectures can be delivered. But unfortunately, that did not come true. So now the next step is to try to seek our allies and continue to look around to see who can grant us that. But a paper will be sent to the Ministry of National Defence for government support too as well, because that is something that we need and we need to improve in, in the leadership of our NCOs at this point in time. We believe that the NCOs are, this are the backbone of the police defense force and if it has some loopholes, weak spots we have identified the gaps and that is where we want to continue to work on.”