Military Ladies – Another First!
BDF Media Release| 10 September 20
Photography and Story credit: Private Kyle Straker
The Barbados Defence Force (BDF) is privileged to witness yet another major milestone in its 41 years of establishment. After 33 years of magnanimous service, Warrant Officer Class one (WO1) Michelle Thompson became the first female to attain the highest rank of an enlisted soldier.
Thompson’s esteemed 33-year career started in the Reserve element in 1987 before transitioning to the Full Time element in 1991. Becoming a soldier was always the first choice for a career path for Thompson. She has excelled through the Barbados Cadet Corps Junior Leaders program, the BDF Band and Barbados Regiment Reserves before serving in the full time element. She has made various achievements throughout her career such as clerk of the year, receiving the Glendairy medal and the 15-year Service Medal just to name a few.
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WO1 Thompson says her career as a female soldier “has always had its ups and downs but it’s something I always wanted to do, it’s just my way of life…it’s a part of me”. While WO1 Thompson may not have served in any disaster relief regional deployments, she has traveled abroad with the BDF Band, most notable the 1999 Edinburgh tattoo, India for study in Computer Automation, Belize for Company Quarter Master Stores training, regionally in Jamaica to attend a Senior Non-Commissioned Officer training course and as an instructor on the BDF Training Wing (BDF Trg) in 2000 and 2001.
WO1 Thompson shared a piece of advice for all female soldiers and members of the Force, she stated” they have to be observant and they have to give of their best at all times despite whatever stumbling block may come their way they have to keep moving forward otherwise they will crumble”. WO1 Thompson says it feels “IMPRESSIVE” to be the first female WO1 and she would like to especially thank, firstly, the Lord and her cadet superiors that helped to guide her to this point.
Currently serving as the G4 Quarter Master within the Force, the Staff Officer responsible for Logistics, Warrant Officer Class One Michelle Thompson has aspirations to one day, before retirement, serve as a commissioned officer in the Force.
Commodore (Cdre) Errington Shurland enlisted in the Barbados Defence Force in February 1984.
Colonel Glyne Grannum joined the Barbados Defence Force (BDF) on 18 October 1985 and underwent career development training at the Canadian Forces Officer Candidate School, Chilliwack and the Combat Training Centre, Gagetown New Brunswick, Canada. He subsequently attended the Infantry Training Centre and the Signal Wing in Warminster, UK (PCBC and RSO Courses respectively), the International Institute of Humanitarian Law in San Remo, Italy; the Lester Pearson Canadian Peacekeeping Centre, the Canadian Land Forces Command and Staff College, Kingston, the Canadian Forces Command and Staff College, Toronto, the National Defence University of the People’s Liberation Army People’s Republic of China and the Centre for Hemispheric Defence Studies, National Defence University, Washington. He also attended a Defence Resources Management programme at National Defence Headquarters, Ottawa, Canada. In addition to being a qualified infantry officer, Col Grannum is a qualified Regimental Signals Officer and a former Operations Officer and Finance Officer of the BDF.
Colonel Banfield joined the Barbados Battalion of the South Caribbean Force in 1941 having just left the Cadet Corps at Combermere School, and was granted a commission as a Second Lieutenant in 1942. He was a Platoon Commander and a Company Commander during the war and served in Barbados, Dominica (as part of the Gale Force), St Lucia and St Vincent.
Warrant Officer Class 1 Colin Marshall is a graduate of the St Michael, and was born on the 5 November 1969 and enlisted in the Barbados Defence Force on 16 August 1994. He was promoted to the rank of Lance Corporal in August 1997, Corporal in 1999, Sergeant in 2007, Color Sergeant in 2014, Warrant Officer Class Two in 2017 and Warrant Officer Class One in 2020. He was Most Outstanding Student on Junior Leadership Course in 1998, the Most Outstanding Student on Junior Non Commissioned Officer Cadre in Jamaica in 2000, best at Leadership on the Search Adviser Course in Jamaica in 2007 and the Most Outstanding Student on the Warrant Officer Course in Jamaica in 2015.
