The Barbados Defence Force (BDF) has launched its Military We Gatherin’ initiative as part of the country’s wider 2025 national celebration, aiming to reconnect serving personnel with veterans and the general public through a series of community-focused events.
Chief of Staff Brigadier Carlos Lovell urged Barbadians to rally behind the programme, describing it as a vital opportunity to honour the past while strengthening bonds across generations and sectors of society.
Delivering the feature address under the theme Honouring our Past, While Supporting Our Present, Lovell said, “This year’s We Gatherin’ initiative reminds us that the nation is at its strongest when its people come together from near and far to reaffirm their shared identity, their shared values, and their duty to one another.”
He credited retired Lieutenant Colonel Jeffrey Bostic with first proposing the idea, and said the BDF embraced it “with open arms” because of its significance to both the force and the country.
Lovell explained that the initiative is designed to bring serving members, veterans and civilians into closer contact.
“I anticipate that the activities over the coming weeks will open the gates for our serving men and women to once again stand shoulder to shoulder with those who served Barbados so well, and those who put the BDF on the map.”
He described the programme as a “renewal of covenant” between the military and the people of Barbados, adding, “Military service is intertwined in the fabric of our communities, our churches, our schools and our neighbourhoods.”
The BDF will engage the public and veterans through community projects, social outreach and recreational activities.
“We fully intend to engage in meaningful dialogue to better understand how these relationships can be built, rebuilt and maintained for many years to come,” Lovell said.
Addressing veterans directly, he affirmed, “You remain an inseparable part of our force’s success story. You are part of its foundation; you are a part of this family. The discipline, courage and sacrifice that you lived out are the very pillars on which the force stands today.”
Lovell also spoke of the importance of continuity and adaptation. “It is our mandate to bridge the gap between our forefathers and our future. In an era of rapid change, our ability to adapt and to lead will be the measure of our strength.”
Calling for public support, he said, “Together let us usher the BDF into a new era, where our watchwords—discipline, duty and devotion – are not only preserved but personified in our every thought, in our every word and in our every action.”
Planned activities include a T20 cricket match at Trents Playing Field, a family beach lime at Brandon’s Beach, Q in De Fort, a military tattoo and wellness fair, a cruise, and the grand finale, We Gathering at St Ann’s Fort, on September 7. (STT)
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