Before the break, we showed you the first of two celebrations that the government and the BDF celebrated. The donation of those ten trucks to the BDF happened at their annual Christmas luncheon, which the high command of the military hosts to honor the rank-and-file soldiers.
Here now is that story on a luncheon where the waiters are from the kitchen cabinet:
This afternoon, Prime Minister John Briceno and members of his Cabinet joined the commanders of the BDF in their long tradition of serving Christmas luncheon to the soldiers of the BDF.
We saw the PM expertly stacking plates of food and moving around the crowd of soldiers delivering them the Christmas meal.
He was joined by the National Defense Minister of State, Oscar Mira, a retired serviceman, and Cabinet Secretary Stuart Leslie, who later switched to handing out apples.
Foreign Affairs Minister Eamon Courtenay was tasked to deliver cupcakes - with little toy soldiers - as dessert, and he was joined by Attorney General Magali Marin-Young.
They may be top Government officials, but the symbolic gesture of catering to the rank and file of the BDF was a way of honoring their commitment and major personal sacrifices to be on the frontlines of the defense of Belize's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Brigadier General Azariel Loria - Commander, BDF
"Man, the Honorable Prime Minister, John Briceno, was here again. Last year, he was here, and this year again. So, that speaks volumes of the leadership in government supporting the troops, and we would want that to continue for as long as we could."
John Briceno - Prime Minister
"This has become a tradition where you all have lunch together as soldiers, as comrades, as brothers and sisters, and we can be here to help serve you, at least for one day of the year. Make sure you put the General to work doubly as hard because you all serve him all year round. So, this is the time that he will be able to work for you. And certainly, Minister Marin, we can't let him get away either. I want to say thank you on behalf of the Government and thank you on behalf of all Belizeans for the work you do, walking out there under the sun, under the rain, in the mud, in the jungle, with mosquitoes, the heat - and the list can go on. It is an incredible job that you do for us Belizeans, and many times, we take it for granted. We know that the BDF is out there. BDF is taking care of everything, but every single day, it becomes more dangerous. It becomes more troubling. It becomes tenser because we continuously are having more and more incursions of Guatemalans into our land, into our country. And we have to make sure that we can manage that as humanely as possible, but at the same time, as firmly as possible, for them to understand that this side of the border belongs to Belize. Every single square inch belongs to each and every one of us, and thanks to you, we have managed to take care of those borders very well."
After those remarks, the PM and his Cabinet team shared the Christmas meal with the soldiers present at Price Barracks, enjoying each others' company as fellow servants to Belize and its citizens.
Several of the soldiers received promotions and special honors. Even Defense Minister of State Oscar Mira, a retired 22-year veteran of the BDF, received a special commendation to recognize his career as a soldier.
Brigadier General Azariel Loria - Commander, BDF
"In the Belize Defense Force, we have our promotion conferences every mid-year and end of the year. That is something standard since the inception of the BDF. Today, we promoted, here in the activities, a few - about 10 of them. But the list is longer than that. The Belize Defense Force is a large organization. We promoted some of them. As per tradition, we keep giving prizes to the best soldier to the best performers. We recognize them for their outstanding contribution during Hurricane Lisa. We encourage physical fitness, which all - including myself. I'm average, but for those who get a hundred percent on all the physical activities, when it comes to the exams, we give them a monetary contribution. That is part of the tradition as well so that they could continue to get fit, and it will stimulate others to keep on getting fit."
Daniel Ortiz
"Sir, what was the commendation given to Minister Mira?"
Brigadier General Azariel Loria
"Minister Mira, the commendation given to him is that he retired about six or seven years ago, and we usually provide a 'Blue Book.' The Blue Book signifies that he has served time with the Belize Defense Force, and the soldier is recognized. That is written in that Blue Book. He did not get it for whatever reason, and today, we decided to honor him because he served a bit more than 22 years. He was a soldier, and now, he is our Minister of State in the Ministry of National Defense and Border Security. We are proud of him."
Earlier in the year, the BDF received several electronic equipment pieces, including computers and printers, through the CABEI loan.
