JDF operated 30% below capacity in 2022; Manchester for next recruitment drive

Up to December 2022, the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) was operating at almost 30 per cent below capacity, a situation the army has been seeking to address through a series of recruitment exercises across the country. 

The 2022 Economic and Social Survey Jamaica (ESSJ) said the overall strength of the JDF as at December 31 increased by 1.5 per cent to 7,604. That figure comprised 7,027 persons in the regular force and 577 members in the reserve force. 

However, the report indicated that the regular force was 28 per cent below its establishment size of 9,760 which was set in 2018. The reserve force was almost 80 per cent below its target of 2,866. 

The JDF does its basic recruitment through the Jamaica National Service Corps (JNSC), which up to December last year had 860 persons. That was 60 per cent below the target number of 2,162. 

Yesterday, the JDF announced a recruitment event for Manchester to be held on August 16. The army is seeking persons to join as soldiers and officers. 

Meanwhile, the ESSJ report said in 2022, the JDF received and processed 18,158 non-specialist applications and 250 professional entry applications, of which 927 were accepted across all categories.

A total of 1,056 persons were enlisted - 898 in the regular force and 158 in the reserve force.

There were 11 persons who moved from the reserve force to the regular force, three persons who moved from the regular force to the reserve force and 491 from the JNSC to the regular force.

The report said 1,026 persons were discharged from the JDF. Some 467 left through "termination of engagement" and 133 whose engagement were completed. Nine soldiers died. 

And the ESSJ report indicated that the JDF Air Wing conducted 383 flights, of which 19 were casualty evacuations, three were medical evacuations and 13 search-and-rescue operations.

The Coast Guard conducted 21 search-and-rescue operations which saved 69 lives. The Coast Guard also seized six fishing vessels and recovered 1,247 kilograms of conch.

Government has invested billions of dollars in modernising the JDF in recent years. Some $5 billion was spent on projects and equipment acquisition for the financial year ended March 2023.

The ESSJ report was done by the Planning Institute of Jamaica. It was released in late July. 

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