Defence Board Promotes Chief Of Defence Staff and Other Senior Officers
Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Rear Admiral Antonette Wemyss Gorman, has been promoted to Vice Admiral (Lieutenant General) and three Colonels have been promoted to Brigadier, effective May 10 2024, following approval from the Defence Board.
Rear Admiral Wemyss Gorman was appointed CDS on January 21 2022. Her career spans 32 years at various command levels. As CDS, she has provided steady leadership of the Force with trust and high morale of the soldiers.
Rear Admiral Wemyss Gorman has kept the Jamaica Defence Force on track with its 2017 to 2037 strategic plan as outlined in the Strategic Defence Review, whose update she led in 2021. She has placed high priority on the initiation of the Institute of Cyber Science, and the development of the military intelligence capability, resulting in more targeted operations and support to the JCF. Rear Admiral Wemyss Gorman has systematically expanded the Force’s footprint across the island, establishing Forward Operating Bases in Clarendon, St Catherine, St Thomas, Portland, Westmoreland and Hanover. She has significantly expanded youth and community engagement, with the JDF directly interacting with over 35,000 young Jamaicans annually. Under her stewardship, the Jamaica National Service Corps programme is currently being reviewed to adjust and diversify the opportunities available to participants. At the same time, securing the Blue Economy, resulting in a downward trend in illegal fishing, has also been an area of focus.
Rear Admiral Wemyss Gorman commands the respect of her peers regionally and has established operational MOU’s with the Armed Forces of the Dominican Republic, Cayman Island Coast Guard and Guyana Defence Force. The JDF now leads an annual multinational exercise to enhance interoperability in regional security and was asked to lead the CARICOM Joint Task Force’s participation in the UN-sanctioned Multinational Security Support mission to Haiti.
The Defence Board, acting on the recommendation of the CDS, also approved the promotion of the following senior officers to the rank of Brigadier:
Colonel Mahatma WILLIAMS, who is currently the Brigade Commander of the Jamaica Regiment. His career spans 31 years of service at various command levels. He was promoted to his current rank on May 25 2018 and continues to be an asset to the JDF.
Colonel Oneil BOGLE, who is currently the President of the Caribbean Military Academy. His career spans 24 years of service at various command levels. He was promoted to his current rank on April 1 2021 and continues to be an asset to the JDF.
Colonel Elon CLARKE, who is currently the Brigade Commander of the Maritime, Air and Cyber Command. His career spans 22 years of service at various command levels. He was promoted to his current rank on March 25 2022 and continues to be an asset to the JDF.
All three senior officers are graduates of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in the United Kingdom and have earned post graduate degrees.