The Belize Coast Guard, the military agency that watches over the country's marine spaces, turned 16 yesterday. So, this afternoon, they and the Government held a ceremony at their Belize City Headquarters to celebrate those 16 years of service.
For the Coast Guard, this is usually a time of reflection on - and a celebration of - their achievements over the last 12 months. But, at this ceremony, 105 serving members of the Coast Guard received rank promotions along with their Commandant.
As part of today's ceremony, Elton Bennett became the third Belizean to hold the rank of Rear Admiral. We got a chance to speak to him about this achievement, and here's what he had to say:
Rear Admiral Elton Bennett - Commandant, Belize Coast Guard
"Definitely, it's a big day for us in the Belize Coast Guard, 16 years of service to the Nation. We celebrate the day with promotions from across the ranks, the enlisted and officers Brackett. A total of 105 persons were promoted today, including me. From Captain to Rear Admiral. So, definitely, a big day for the Belize Coast Guard. It's our Coast Guard anniversary, 28 of November, yesterday. We're doing our official ceremonies today, and so, we're happy to share in the joy of celebrating our anniversary with our allies, our partners, our families, and friends of the Belize Coast Guard, who you see around here today."
Reporter
"So, what does this mean? What does your promotion mean?"
Rear Admiral Elton Bennett
"25 years of service to the nation, 10 years in the Belize Defense Force, before I transferred over to the Belize Coast Guard. In a few months, I'll complete 26 years in uniform, and so, to reach this point is a huge accomplishment. It's not something that was on my mind when I joined the service, but something that eventually took its rightful place. I am grateful for the opportunity given to me by my predecessor, Admiral Borland, who prepared me for this position, and everyone else who was instrumental in ensuring that I was prepared for this position. It's definitely a big step, and you're aware that I took command 2 years ago at the rank of Captain. I went away to study to qualify for the rank of Admiral. I returned back to the country in August of this year, and I'm grateful for the promotion that I received today. So, it's just moving forward, moving forward, moving the organization forward."
