Today the BDF held its annual Christmas luncheon with special guests Prime Minister Said Musa and Defense Minister Cordel Hyde. Annually, the event is a time for the officers to serve the soldiers, and today was no different. Defense Minister Hyde opened by thanking the soldiers for standing strong through a tough year.
Hon. Cordel Hyde, Minister of Defense
"I just want to use this opportunity to salute the fine men and women of the Belize Defense Force. As civilians we take a lot of things for granted. We take for granted that we will be home with our families for the holidays, for the Christmas and the New Years. We take for granted that we will be with our families in time of hurricanes and other natural disasters. We take for granted that if there is unease in the streets, if there is mass dissatisfaction, or heat in the streets that we have the right option to demonstrate if we so desire. When you are a soldier you don't enjoy such luxuries. You can't be assured that you will be home for both Christmas day and New Year's day, you definitely have to be on the job in the event of hurricanes and when there are mass demonstrations or heat in the street, you can't demonstrate, you have to protect the state. We have all been extremely proud of the work of our soldiers in this past year from doing a marvelous job with the police earlier this year when tensions were in the air to performing some heroic rescue missions in the deep blue sea in the south and manning our borders with impeccable calm and resolve. We don't often get to say it but I want to use this opportunity to say thank you. Thank you so very much for making Belize a peaceful and better place."
Brig. Gen. Lloyd Gillett
"Traditionally this dinner has been a thank you to the soldiers for the hard work that they put on through the year. Every year the officers and senior people get up and serve them their food because during the year they really serve us by obeying the commands we give them and contribute to work that we have to do to ensure the security, stability, and prosperity of Belize."
