JDF Chief Urges Graduates to Recognise Value of Partnership

Chief of Defence Staff of the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF), Major General Stewart Saunders, has urged graduates of the Caribbean Junior Command and Staff Course, to recognise the immense value of working together in partnership.
“The course has equipped you with the requisite knowledge to enable you to improve the systems and procedures of your present organisations, to understand the communication linkages required for inter-organisational and inter-regional liaisons and the value to be realised through combined efforts,” he told them.
Major General Saunders was speaking at the graduation ceremony, which was held at the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) training camp at Moneague in St. Ann, recently.
The 19-week course for 30 participants from the Caribbean and Canada, sought to prepare the junior officers to perform junior or intermediate staff functions at the Unit or the Force Headquarters level, and command functions at the sub-unit and unit levels within the context of the Force or Brigade.
He pointed out that the course would continue to produce, improve and enhance the cadre of middle management leaders.
“Therefore, with your new found knowledge, you have a serious challenge ahead. You are required to not only display the new qualities achieved, but also and most importantly, to put yourself in a position where you can impart knowledge to your subordinates, peers and superiors alike and improve upon those areas in your organisation that have ultimate responsibility,” the Chief of Defence Staff said.
“If you do all this when you return to your respective organisations and nations, then you will be ensuring the continuity of thoughts, words and deeds in the development of a unified approach to the leadership and management across the wider Caribbean and internationally,” he added.
Emphasising the value of partnership, Major General Saunders said that the partnerships with Canada, the United States of America, the United Kingdom and Caribbean nations had not only facilitated the development and continuation of the programme, but by extension, had contributed immensely to regional development, integration and stability.
“Partnerships of this nature are not only crucial but add immense value to our organisations and nations, as they allow us to build capacities that are critical to lasting development,” he noted.
The graduates, he said, should not only be determined to ensure improvements, but should also seek to be bold and recommend changes where there was a need and demand acceptable performance standards.
“Do not be afraid to make decisions using the tools that have been cemented in your brains over the last five months, as this is critical to your present phase of development,” he appealed, and encouraged them to keep the lines of communication open and continue to improve on the partnership as they charted the path of the future.
The course was structured to familiarise candidates with problem solving and decision making techniques, leading to recommendations and the ability to communicate those recommendations effectively, both orally and in writing.