Security ministry seeks help cadets

The hunt is on to convince the nation's youth that the greatest platforms for developing their leadership abilities, discipline, and career exist within the Jamaica Combined Cadet Force.

Pearnel Charles Jr, state minister in the National Security Ministry, met with Jamaican Ambassador to the United States Audrey Marks, recently, in Washington, DC, seeking assistance to strengthen the island's cadets as a way to reintroduce Jamaica to the world as a disciplined society.

"We are trying to expand the cadet units across the country," he said. "We have identified 10 schools in the west in which we will be starting cadet units, and we definitely need more resources. The goal really is to increase the impact of the Jamaica Combined Cadet Force across the country, and so, to do that, we have to widen their offerings, which means increasing numbers but also doing better with the programmes offered to cadets.

"Law and order has been one of the greatest problems in Jamaica. So the cadets is really a facility to expose these youngsters to discipline and attitudes that would cause them to be citizens that will respect the law," Charles told The Gleaner yesterday.

CREATIVE IDEAS

The minister outlined creative ideas that would serve to attract as many individuals as possible to cadets.

"We are trying to find different ways to encourage our students to become involved. That is why we have the cadet ambassador programme, which encourages them to go out and spread the word to their friends and to get involved in mentorship. We have the aircraft, which was donated to the Combined Cadet Force last year, and so we have restarted our flight-training programme. We have students involved theoretically and will soon be flying. I told her (Marks) of the deficiencies in terms of uniforms and equipment that are needed for the cadets to learn map reading and other things."