Maroc - NEWSDAY.CO.TT - A la Une - 16/Oct 03:46

CDS promoted, Regiment, Coast Guard get new commanders

THE Regiment and the Coast Guard now have new commanding officers and the Chief of Defence Staff has been promoted to Commodore. The promotions went into effect on October 14, according to senior officials of the military and the Ministry of Defence. The development follows a change in leadership of the Defence Force on October 7, after the then commanding officer of the Coast Guard, Captain Don Polo, was appointed as Defence Force chief, replacing Air Vice Marshal Darryl Daniel. [caption id="attachment_1184830" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Chief of Defence Staff Commodore Don Polo - Photo courtesy TTDF[/caption] Daniel's appointment was suddenly revoked by President Christine Kangaloo based on advice from Minister of Defence Wayne Sturge, after consultation with Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, head of the National Security Council. According to military sources, Lt Col Dwayne Edwards was promoted to colonel and has been appointed by the CDS to take command of the Regiment while coast guard commander Akenathon Isaac has been promoted to captain and takes over as commanding officer of the Coast Guard. [caption id="attachment_1184829" align="alignnone" width="555"] New Coast Guard Commanding Officer Naval Captain Akhenathon Isaac. - Photo courtesy TTDF[/caption] Military sources said the handing over ceremony for Edwards will take place at Regiment headquarters, in Port of Spain on October 16. Isaac was promoted from Lt Commander to Commander in June 1, 2022, and assumed the role as executive officer of the Coast Guard, while Edwards, a soldier for over 27 years, was promoted to Lt Colonel on June 1, 2022, and assumed command of the Defence Force headquarters. Military sources on October 8 said it was unusual for an officer at the rank of captain to take the helm as head of the Defence Force. Newsday understands that the government made the change to the leadership of the Defence Force, without first promoting Polo, “owing to the exigencies.” Sturge invoked a national security clause in the Standing Orders when the Opposition sought to get details on the reasons behind Daniel's termination in Parliament on October 10. Military sources said Col Keston Charles appointment as commanding officer of the regiment has been revoked, after three years in the position, and he will proceed on 180 days' leave from October 17. [caption id="attachment_1184831" align="alignnone" width="724"] Col Keston Charles. -[/caption] With Edwards' assignment as commanding officer of the regiment, Charles will be reassigned to Defence Force headquarters, a senior military officer said. On August 9, Charles, was sent on 605 days' leave by Daniel but within 24 hours that decision was rescinded. No explanation has been given for the reversal of the decision either by the Ministry of Defence or the Defence Force. Sources close to Charles said he applied for leave about six weeks ago in an attempt to reduce his backlog where he intends to "rest and relax." The change in the leadership of the Defence Force and two arms of the military comes at a time when the country remains under a state of emergency and significant developments in the Caribbean Sea with the build-up of US naval assets responsible for five missile strikes in the last two and a half months which left 27 suspected narco-traffickers dead. The SoE was declared on July 18, to prevent an onslaught of murders, kidnappings and terrorism aimed at key justice and law enforcement officers being planned by remand inmates at the Maximum Security Prison in Arouca. The Defence Force has been given power of arrest during the SoE and has taken responsibility of keeping high-profile prisoners at its bases in Staubles Bay and Teteron Barracks, in Chaguaramas, since July 18. The three-month extension of the SoE comes to an end on October 28, and Parliament has the option of extending it for another three months..   The post CDS promoted, Regiment, Coast Guard get new commanders appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.