The US Embassy, through its Military Liaison Office, facilitated the attendance of a number of security personnel from the Eastern Caribbean at the Perry Centre for Hemispheric Defence Studies for a 2-week phase of the Caribbean Defence and Security Course.
Participants from 14 Caribbean countries travelled to Washington, DC to engage with regional partners and to discuss common security themes and challenges of their countries. Jason Hagley, Police Supervisor/Corporal of the Royal Grenada Police Force (RGPF) represented Grenada.
The recently-concluded course covered transnational security threats such as organised crime, corruption, and cyber security; interagency and international cooperation; defence economics; and defence and security policy formulation and implementation. The participants also completed an exercise scenario in which they worked together to address security and defence threats in a fictitious country.
US Ambassador to Barbados, the Eastern Caribbean, and the OECS, Linda Taglialatela commented, “We continue to offer support to the security forces in the partner governments in the Eastern Caribbean, as we combat transnational crime, cybersecurity threats, and terrorism threats. The US Government remains committed to the safety and security of Americans living and working in the Eastern Caribbean, and to the overall safety and security of the region.”
The course also featured interactive discussions with senior policymakers and practitioners, and also guest speakers from the Department of Homeland Security, the International Committee of the Red Cross, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, and a number of non-governmental organisations.
