SKNDF Open Day attracts politicians

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – THE St. Kitts-Nevis Defence Force held an Open Day on Thursday (Sept. 24) which attracted visitors of various professions in the Federation, including the media and constituency representatives of the People’s Action Movement (PAM) and the ruling Labour Party.

The event, which is held annually and also on special occasions, was hosted by senior personnel of the SKNDF at Camp Springfield, and was opened to the public from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. allowing individuals to view the conditions under which the Officers and Other Ranks (ORs) live, what they do and how they do it, as well as to ask questions on the role and functions of the nation’s defenders.

According to the Force Public Affairs Officer, Captain (Capt) Kayode Sutton, “The aim of the Open Day was to strengthen the existing relationship between the SKNDF and the people we serve. It also serves as an impetus to reinforce the Defence Force’s drive in recruiting young people who may want to pursue a military career, rather than to be entangled and become frustrated in the uncertainties of some other professions.”

Visitors to the Camp were taken on conducted tours by Capt Sutton and Ensign Serfert Vaughn, who provided detailed explanations concerning the role of various companies, units and departments, as well as providing guests the opportunity to view the Officers, Senior Non-Commissioned Officers and Junior Ranks accommodation.

The politicians who visited the Camp were: Constituency One candidate Glenroy Blanchette, Constituency Two candidate Roy Flemming, Constituency Six candidate Junie Hodge, and Constituency Seven candidate Louis Williams, all of the PAM. The other politician was Marcella Liburd, the Labour Party’s candidate for Constituency Two.

Speaking exclusively with SKNVibes, Capt Sutton said he was pleased with the outcome of the day’s activity but voiced his disappointment in not seeing the Hon. Shawn Richards on the Camp with his colleagues from the two political parties.

“The Hon. Shawn Richards blasted the High Command of the SKNDF in an article sent to media houses in the Federation, headlined ‘Deplorable Camp Springfield Conditions Revealed’. He also mentioned in the article that ‘conditions at Camp Springfield are deplorable and that the soldiers ought not to have to work under those conditions’; and that a ‘soldier provided photographic evidence of a broken toilet and an unsanitary urinal to bolster his claims’.

“I am very disappointed in Mr. Richards’ reaction to the complaints allegedly made to him by a member of this venerable corps of men and women. I respect the office he holds, and as the Parliamentary Representative of Constituency Five and a politician whose aim is to become a government minister, the gate to Camp Springfield is always open to him. Even if he requests to visit the Camp on a Sunday or a holiday while Senior Officers are in church or resting at home, we will make ourselves available to accommodate him. Therefore, I find it quite appalling and ungentlemanly for a potential minister of government and member of the law-making body of St. Kitts and Nevis not to have conducted a thorough investigation by also communicating with the Force’s High Command,” Sutton said.

In his explanation about the broke toilet, Capt Sutton said that the facility was damaged sometime in the past and replaced by members of the Public Works Department, but “the concrete base remains unpainted, and if Mr. Richards had looked closely at the photograph he would have noticed that. However, the offer is still open for him to visit and have firsthand view of the Camp and also on what he wrote”.

Sutton further said: “I’m not saying that we don’t have problems. Every organisation and institution the world over, including the military, encounters problems and challenges. The SKNDF has its own problems and challenges and we normally employ all possible measures within our limitations to arrive at solutions. We are not perfect…no one is perfect, only God! Challenges are a part of life and how one handles them will determine one’s stress level and happiness.”