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Commodore (Cdre) Errington Ricardo Shurland was appointed Chief of Staff of the Barbados Defence Force (BDF) on 1 September 2021. He enlisted in the BDF in February 1984 and in a military career spanning over 34 years, has served in various operational and administrative appointments.
Cdre Shurland is a graduate of the Britannia Royal Naval College in Dartmouth, England and the Command and General Staff College of the United States Army, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. He holds a Master’s degree in Maritime Administration from the World Maritime University in Malmo, Sweden. He is also certified in Elections Management and Mediation from the American University and the University of Windsor respectively.
Throughout his career, he has functioned in numerous notable appointments. They include Barbados’ representative at the Organisation of American States and the Chief of the Barbados Delegation at the Inter American Defence Board. Additionally, he has served as Barbados’ delegate to the United Nations and the International Maritime Organisation. Regionally, he also performed duties as an adviser for Barbados’ delegation to negotiate Maritime Boundaries and Fisheries Agreements with Trinidad and Tobago, and Guyana.
Cdre Shurland also serves as the Executive Director of the Regional Security System.
Cdre Shurland is a Justice of the Peace and his military honours include the Queen’s Jubilee Medal, the Governor-General’s Medal of Honour, the Services Medal of Honour, the General Service Medal and two Defence Board Commendations.
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.
He has trained junior non-commissioned and senior non-commissioned officers and has been involved in the professional development of junior commissioned officers (lieutenants and captains from Caribbean states) having been a member of the Directing Staff of the Caribbean Junior Command and Staff Course in Newcastle, Jamaica.
His career has had many highlights, including his role as the lead architect for the design of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007 security plan for tournament events in Barbados, an effort which helped shape security plans in the other Cricket World Cup host nations and the CARICOM Regional Security Plan. He commanded the Independence Day parades in 2012 and 2013 and chaired the Working Group (2013 – 2015) which led to the design and successful roll out of the BDF’s Group Health and Major Medical Insurance Plan.
Immediately prior to becoming the Chief of Staff (the senior officer in command of the military in Barbados) on 1 February 2017, he was the Director of Operations and Plans in the Headquarters of the Regional Security System (2015 – 2017).
He holds a Master of Business Administration degree (with Merit) from the University of Surrey and a Master of Defence Studies degree from the Royal Military College of Canada. He is the recipient of the Chief of Staff’s Commendation (1994), two Defence Board Commendations (1996 and 2007), the Meritorious Service Medal (1998), the Services Medal of Honour (with 2 clasps), the General Service Medal (2011), the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal (2013) and the Governor General of Barbados’ Medal of Honour (2017).
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.
He was trained in Jamaica, British Honduras and Canada and specialised in weapons, unarmed combat and physical training. After he was demobilised as a Captain in 1947, he joined the Barbados Regiment and as was responsible for many of the improvements in the Regiment today. Among other Civil Service posts, he was the Assistant Superintendent of Prisons, before being appointed the first local Adjutant of the Barbados Regiment in 1964.
Colonel Banfield was responsible for planning and coordinating the military ceremony on the night Barbados became Independent on 30 November 1966 and he was awarded the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) for his outstanding contribution. In the early 70s, he became Commanding Officer of the Barbados Regiment having successfully attended the Canadian Staff Course.
It was his foresight and planning that shaped the Barbados Defence Force in its formative years. On the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the formation of the Barbados Volunteer Force, he was promoted to the rank of Colonel and became the first Chief of Staff of the Barbados Defence Force (BDF) on 15 August 1979. Col Banfield coined the motto “Symbol of Excellence” which is the motto still being used by the BDF today.
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.
He has completed the All Arms and Ceremonial Drill Course and the Range Management Course. In addition he has completed the IED Recognition and Detection Course, Counter Terrorism and Hostage Response Course, and Maritime Counter Terrorism Course in preparation for Cricket World Cup 2007.
He has served within the BDF in both the Barbados Regiment and the Barbados Coast Guard. In the Barbados Regiment He performed the duties of Section Commander at Commando Squadron, Platoon Sergeant, Company Quartermaster Sergeant and Company Sergeant Major He has also functioned as a junior and senior instructor in Training Company. He was Chief Instructor, Training Company for Recruit Intake 2015 and Chief instructor for the Barbados Commando Course in 2012 and 2016. He also served as the Divisional Chief in the Administrative Division of the Barbados Coast Guard.
WO1 C Marshall also worked in Human Resource Management section of the Force Headquarters as the SNCO in Charge of Recruiting in the BDF in 2013. He was the assistant planner of EXERCISE COMPLEX TRIDENT, the national disaster exercise, in 2019. He is the Recipient of the Service Medal of Honour, the General Service Medal and the Regional Security System Medal
He has been awarded three (3) Defence Board Commendations and two (2) Chief of Staff Commendations.
Major Pedro E. Drakes enlisted in the fulltime element of Barbados Defence Force on 2 September 1989. During his formative years, he held positions such as Section Commander, Recruit Training Instructor, Information Technology Administrator and Systems Network Administrator. He attended various military training courses locally and internationally, such as the Canadian Forces School of Electronics and Communication, specializing in Information and Communications Technology. In 1994, he was deployed to Haiti as part of the CARICOM-United Nations Multinational Forces operation to restore democracy to the Caribbean nation.
During the International Cricket Council’s World Cup in 2007, Major Drakes was seconded to the Joint Regional Communications Centre where he was responsible for security matters and reporting persons of interest. In 2009, he was commissioned in the rank of Lieutenant and attend the United States Army Infantry School, Fort Benning, Georgia for initial officer training. Upon his return he was appointed Officer Commanding the Technical Support Company.
Throughout his military career, Major Drakes has held several notable appointments within the Force. These include: Cadet Executive Officer, Senior Company Commander, Recruit Training Officer, Special Assignment Officer Policies, Human Resources Manager, President of the Officers’ Mess Committee and Aide – de – Camp to the former Prime Minister the Honourable Freundel Stuart; QC. During the passage of the Atlantic Weather Systems in 2017, he played a significant role as Second – in – Command of the Regional Security System’s contingent to assist with security and humanitarian relief efforts in the Commonwealth of Dominica.
On 10 June 2021, Major Drakes was appointed Commanding Officer of the Barbados Regiment. He is the recipient of the Defence Board Commendation, two Chief of Staff Commendations, the Service Medal of Honour with two clasps, the General Service Medal, Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal, the United Nations Medal and the Regional Security System Medal.
Major Drakes holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Psychology and Management, from the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, an Associate Degree in Computer Science and is a qualified All Arms Drill Instructor.
Colonel Deighton Maynard was invited to join the Barbados Defence Force (BDF) on its establishment in 1979, having served in the Barbados Regiment and reaching the rank of Lieutenant.
Leaving behind a 20-year career as Games Master and a teacher at Combermere School, Colonel Maynard acceded to the invitation to join the BDF and was promoted to the rank of Captain.
On joining the BDF Colonel Maynard attended staff training in Canada and held various command and staff appointments such as Officer Commanding of the outpost at Harrison Point in St Lucy, Officer Commanding the Administrative Support Unit at St Ann’s Fort, Staff Officer Finance & Procurement, Staff Officer Operations and Training, and Commanding Officer of the Administrative Support Unit.
Colonel Maynard always maintained a keen interest in sports and coached the national hockey team to many outstanding successes. He was instrumental in the development of the Barbados Defence Sports Programme administered and in securing a key role for Barbados in the International Military Sports Council (CISM). Colonel Maynard was awarded the Silver Crown of Merit in 1990 for outstanding military service.
Colonel Maynard was appointed as Chief of Staff in 1999 and retired on 31 August 2003.
Brigadier Lewis was born in the parish of St Joseph and attended Southborough Boys School and Harrison College. At Harrison College, he was a member of the Cadet Corps and rose to the rank of Cadet Under Officer. While still at school he enlisted in the Barbados Regiment where he attained the rank of corporal and received the Best NCO award in 1958 and 1959.
In March 1960 he opted to go to Jamaica to enlist in the re-formed West India Regiment and in 1962 he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant after two years as a cadet at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst where he received the prize for Best Overseas Cadet. On his return to Jamaica from Sandhurst, he learned that the West India Regiment was to be disbanded (with the collapse of the short-lived West Indies Federation) and accepted a place in the new Jamaica Defence Force, there being no full-time military in Barbados.
Lewis performed many duties with distinction in the JDF including Training Officer responsible for recruit and NCO training, Aide-de-Camp to the Governor General, and Officer in charge of boxing and Rugby. He retired from the JDF in 1977 at the rank of Major to accept an appointment in the Defence and Security Division of the Prime Minister’s office in Barbados, with special responsibility for the establishment of the BDF.
He was later appointed Deputy Chief of Staff in the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and in 1980 appointed Chief of Staff in the rank of Colonel. In 1983 in recognition of his role as coordinator of the Regional Security System (RSS) he was promoted to the rank of Brigadier. Also in 1983, he received the award of national honour of the Gold Crown of Merit and in March 1989 he was honoured by Her Majesty the Queen Elizabeth II, being made and Commander of the Victorian Order.
Brigadier Lewis, a perfectionist and man with remarkable focus and insight, was the principal guiding force behind the successes and achievement of the Barbados Defence Force for nearly two decades. He retired in 1999, having maintained the admiration of those he led throughout his career.
Colonel Quintyne enlisted in the Barbados Regiment in 1976 and later transferred to the Barbados Defence Force on its establishment as a full-time military force in August 1979. He served as a junior enlisted rank and attained the rank of Corporal. In August 1980 he attended Basic Officer’s Training in Canada and graduated from the Canadian Forces Officer Candidate School in August 1981. On 15 August 1981, he was granted a Queen’s Commission as a Second Lieutenant in the Regular Element of the Barbados Defence Force.
Since commissioning, he rose through the ranks of the Officers’ Corps attaining promotions to the rank of Lieutenant in September 1983, Captain in September 1984, Major in June 1989, Lieutenant Colonel in February 1996 and Colonel in September 2003.
Colonel Quintyne has held several command, staff and operational appointments in the Barbados Defence Force. Foremost among his many operational deployments was Operation “URGENT FURY”, the US-led intervention in Grenada in October 1983. He commanded and led the Barbados Defence Force’s contingent to Trinidad and Tobago in the aftermath of the coup attempt in 1990 and in November 1994 he commanded and led a Regional Security System combined military and police contingent to restore peace and order after the prison uprising in St Kitts & Nevis.
Colonel Quintyne is a graduate of the Canadian Forces Staff School, the Canadian Land Forces Command and General Staff College and National Defence University in Washington D.C.
Colonel Quintyne served as Barbados’ Defence Attaché to the Embassy of Barbados in Washington, D.C. during the period 2000-2002 and assumed command of the Defence Force on September 2003.
Colonel Quintyne has been awarded the Barbados Service Star, the General Service Medal, the Regional Security System Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal, a Defence Board Commendation, the Service Medal of Honour and the Legion of Merit, the highest military honour awarded by the US Department of Defence to foreign military personnel.
Colonel Quintyne and his wife are the proud parents of two sons and one daughter