And on Tuesday, the BDF was in Corozal at Centro Escolar Mexico Junior College. They signed an MOU which will hopefully lead to more students from the north enlisting in the force. Commander Velasquez told us more about the BDF's plans.
Brig. Gen. Anthony Velasquez, Commander, BDF
"We had a ceremony, just recently, at the Central Escolar Mexico Junior College where we had an MOU we signed with them for a partner where the BDF would benefit by getting scholarships from them and they would benefit by getting the benefit of our experience with their young students. And also it's a recruiting tool for us to bring more people from the northern Belize to the BDF. So it's a win win situation, symbiotic relationship. We have also been in consultation and talks with UB for similar type of consultation agreement where we will have an officer training corps where scholarships will be given to Belizeans to attend UB and then after join the BDF as officers. We also have a good relationship with Galen University through similar initiatives. At the end of the day, within the next two years or a little bit more, the BDF wants to open its own Belize Military academy where we will train our own officers in Belize and those are all the steps taken towards that end goal."
