Jamaica to Host Caribbean Cadet Camp

Approximately 800 young people from 14 regional countries will descend on Jamaica from July 15 to 29 for this year’s Caribbean Cadet Camp.

The biennial event, to be held under the theme ‘Empowering Cadets, Tomorrow’s Leaders’, is one of the marquee activities for the Caribbean Cadet Association.

It also forms part of the slate of engagements of the Jamaica Combined Cadet Force (JCCF).

The participants will converge on the grounds of Clarendon College for a series of training and exhibition activities.

Governor-General, His Excellency the Most Hon. Sir Patrick Allen, and Chief of Defence Staff, Rear Admiral Antonette Wemyss Gorman, are among the officials expected to attend several of the sessions.

Minister of State in the Ministry of National Security, Hon. Juliet Cuthbert-Flynn, will officially launch the camp during the opening ceremony on July 16.

The event, which returns following a break due to the COVID-19 pandemic, was last held locally in 2014.

Commander for the JCCF’s Northern Regiment, Lieutenant Colonel Nicolas Taylor, told JIS News that the camp will be an exhilarating experience for the cadets.

“We will move into Clarendon College on [July 15] where we will carry out various activities such as drills, map reading, and land navigation. We will also do some engineering training and environmental development,” he added.

The cadets will also engage in activities designed to perfect their musical skills so they can enhance the drum and bugle offerings in their countries.

Drum and bugle corps refer to the musical marching units comprising brass and percussion instruments. Drum corps are specialised marching bands.

“We will also be doing various hikes, executing community projects, and tree-planting exercises. So we try to ensure that our foreigners from the various contingents enjoy this little rock, Jamaica land we love, in many different ways,” Colonel Taylor said.

Other programmed activities include sports, a debating competition, a culture night, and shooting festival, which he indicated “is going to be involving the cadets who are marksmen”.