ABOUT THE BARBADOS REGIMENT
The Barbados Volunteer Force was formed in 1902 and was founded as a volunteer unit raised to provide local defence for the island following the withdrawal of the British Garrison. Soldiers of the BVF during the First World War who were desirous to join international Regiments were allowed to do so. During the Second World War the BVF went into abeyance and formed the Home Guard; while the British Army returned as part of both the South Caribbean Force and the Caribbean Regiment, from 1941 – 1947.
In 1948, the BVF was re-established and renamed the Barbados Regiment. Barbados was part of the Federation of the West Indies and contributed to the 3rd Battalion, West India Regiment.
The Regiment received its first stand of Colours in 1953. These colours were later changed in 1979, after the country gained Independence in 1966.
On the 15th of August 1979 the Barbados Defence Force was formed and the officers of the Barbados Regiment were given the option of joining full time or remaining on the reserve.
Today the Barbados Regiment is the land force component of the Barbados Defence Force and its mission is “To conduct an array of land-based operations in support of the achievement of the BDF’s aims, objectives and priorities.”
The Regiment is comprised of a number of sub-units and is responsible for the execution of land operations. The Regiment provides military aid to the Civil Power, Civil Ministries and Civilian Community, and is an integral part of the nation’s disaster response and management system.
Command Element
Commanding Officer
Major Pedro Drakes
Major Pedro E. Drakes enlisted in the fulltime element of the Barbados Defence Force on 2 September 1989. During his formative years, he held appointments 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.
Second in Command
Major Joel Greenidge
Major Joel Greenidge a proud student of the Parkinson Memorial Secondary School began his military career in the Barbados Defence Force (BDF) as an infantry soldier in 1994. He served as a Section Commander in the then Commando Squadron, a recruit training instructor in Training Company and a Platoon Sargeant in Alpha Company (presently Special Operations Company, Barbados Regiment). In May 2004, he attended the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and was commissioned as an officer in the BDF after successfully completing Commissioning Course 042 in April 2005. Major Greenidge’s military postings include service with the:
- Commando Squadron 1997 – 1999 Section Second-in-Command;
- Alpha Company 1999 – 2003 Section Commander;
- Alpha Company 2003 – 2004 Platoon Sargeant;
- Special Operations Company 2005 – 2007 Platoon Commander;
- Officer in Charge Special Operations Group 2007 – 2009;
- Officer Commanding Training Company 2009 – 2010;
- Second-in-Command Special Operations Company 2010;
- Assistant Staff Officer, Operations, and Training HQ BDF 2010 – 2012;
- Assistant Staff Officer, Finance HQ BDF 2012;
- Staff Officer Finance HQ BDF 2012 to 2017;
- Officer Commanding Support Company;
- Second in Command, Barbados Regiment 2017 to present
During his 23 years of service, he attended various training courses locally and overseas. Some of these courses included training in Land and Maritime Counter Terrorism conducted locally by former members of the UK SAS, Special Operations Command conducted at the Shijiazhuang Mechanized Infantry Academy in Hebei, China, and Defence Resource Management Course in Guatemala.
In addition to his core military duties, Major Greenidge has also performed the several other ancillary functions such as:
- Barbados Coast Guard Service Fund Account Manager 2007 – 2009
- Barbados Defence Force Officers’ Mess Treasurer 2010 – 2012
- Barbados Defence Force Pension Fund Account Manager 2010 – 2012
- Barbados Defence Force Cricket Team Manager 2010 – present
- Aide de Camp to The Right Honourable Freundel Stuart QC MP, Prime Minister of Barbados 2011 – 2013
- President of the Officers’ Mess, Barbados Defence Force 2016 -2017
Major Greenidge a proud recipient of a General Service Medal and the Barbados Defence Board Commendation. He also holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Management (Finance), from the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus.
Major Greenidge is married and is a proud father of 2 boys Kodi and Kamal. He enjoys fishing, cricket and horse racing where time permits. Major Greenidge lives a Christian life and lives by the motto “Success equals Sacrifice.”
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Regimental Sergeant Major
Warrant Officer Class 1 Colin Marshall
Warrant Officer Class 1 Colin Marshall is a graduate of the St Michael School, 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.
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.
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.
