Admiral John Borland served as commandant of the Belize Coast Guard for 10 years before he passed on the baton to Admiral Elton Bennett. But those 10 years are only a fraction of his career in Belize's armed forces, and they haven't gone unnoticed. In a surprise ceremony today, Borland received an honor only few have been given: the Legion of Merit. Courtney Menzies was at that ceremony today and has this story.
In 2019, Admiral John Borland left the Coast Guard after 37 years in the armed services, having first served in the BDF. And now, after retirement last year and with 4 decades of service to Belize behind him, today he became the first Belizean to ever receive the Legion of Merit award.
However, Borland was completely unaware that this was happening. The ceremony and the bestowment were a complete surprise. He only knew something was up because they requested that he don his uniform one last time.
Ret'd Admiral John Borland, Senior Advisor, National Security Directory
"A few months ago, a wise man told me you should keep yourself in shape because you will need to put this uniform back on again. And so I did and so my uniform fits me perfectly still but I could done a better job if I had been prior informed but it's all good."
"It was a pleasant surprise, like I said, I left my home this morning, I had two missions to do, one up at Coast Guard here and one up at the BDF and they certainly weren't anything that happened here just now as you witnessed in the ceremony so definitely a surprise but a good one."
And worldwide, there are only a few thousand persons who have received this award. According to the BCG's commandant, it was the United States that singled him out as an eligible recipient.
Admiral Elton Bennett, Commandant, Belize Coast Guard
"The legion of merit is the highest award that a foreign military officer outside of the United States can achieve and the US military after observing his career for so many years and for so many engagements recognized him as an officer worthy of that legion of merit award. It's not that they approached us and we recommended him, they had that observation of his leadership ability, his dedication to national effort in nation building, to maritime security and defense. So they recognized that and they wanted to bestow upon him the highest level of recognition that they could have done. And they went for the legion of merit award, which puts him in a high class of military officers and diplomats and politicians across the world."
"Admiral Borland has been the foundation of the Belize coast Guard, he was there long before the Coast Guard started, he was one of those key individuals who made contributions with the strategic development of the Coast Guard in terms of what the infrastructure would look like, what the operations would look like but most importantly the investment in people. So from the onset, he recognized the need for us to access world class institutions so he was lobbying from the time he was vice commandant and became commandant of the coast guard for over ten years to get the coast guard leadership in a position for continued success after he departed and that's exactly what occurred."
And after his departure, he moved on to the first ever Chief of Defense Staff at the Ministry and after retiring in March, he's taken on a brand new role. The Minister explained how necessary it is to utilize the skills he's gained over the years.
Oscar Mira, Minister of National Security and Border Defense
"He's not done yet. If you notice, he's now transitioned to the national security directorate so his contribution signified so much for Belize and it was just fitting for us to honor him today. As was rightly said, the first chief of defense staff was an office that he established, he had to start it from scratch and he has done a tremendous job. National security council has a big mandate, it had many issues that we discussed at the national security council. Of course the broader citizenry of Belize don't know but we do have so many national security issues that we discuss there and being an advisor now makes sure that he continues to contribute to the national security of Belize."
And while Borland says he doesn't need the praise, he's still glad for the recognition.
Ret'd Admiral John Borland, Senior Advisor, National Security Directory
"It means a lot, it means that someone or some people recognize the relevance, the significance, and the importance of what I've done for my country. You know, for me it was just another job, I was just doing my job, doing what was required, meeting requirements, fulfilling a mission, fighting on to the objective. That's what I do. I don't need special recognition, I don't need accolades, I don't need praises, I keep moving everyday."
