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New Coast Guardians Pass Out

36 recruits passed out - that's almost half of the Coast Guard's personnel and Monica Bodden was there:..

Monica Bodden reporting
After a 3 month recruit training - 36 newcomers were welcomed into the Belize Coast Guard this morning.

Graduation ceremonies were held at the Williamson Complex in Ladyville -for the 33 men and 3 women in recruit intake number 3.

They were all proud graduates ready to come on board the hundred and 52 man strong organization.

Commander Elton Benett - Acting Commandant, Belize Coast Guard
"The recruits underwent various training; Maritime Law Enforcement, they were train in drill as you can see in the display and a lot of team work were involve, bringing them up to standard to join the ranks of the Belize Coast Guard. The training was partly land-based. Breaking into military life is very similar to what the Belize Defence Force goes through thereafter they do a maritime phase, that maritime phase they do a final exercise out at Calabsh Caye where the recruits completely took command of the operating base and were able to be effective. They carried out a search and rescue case and they also had a violation seizure."

Monica Bodden
"How many recruits were awarded?"

Commander Elton Benett
"Today we awarded 4 recruits. Throughout the recruit training the instructors look at skill levels. They identify the champion recruit who is overall the best recruit. We had the best swimmer who more than likely will join the Coast Guard Rescue and Dive team. We also had the best female from across the intake. We had a physical training."

Glen Noh was one of the 4 who were awarded at this morning's ceremony. The 24 year old is from the Corozal District - specifically Xaibe Village.

He was honored with the Champion recruit award -the highest award received.

Glen Noh - Recruit
"I was awarded the champion recruit."

Monica Bodden
"To get a title as such - the highest award. What kind of work you had to put into it?"

Glen Noh - Recruit
"It took sleepless nights, dedication, hard work & mental effort. I say mental effort because I can safely say a mind game because sometimes whenever you feel pain you want to stop but as my CEO says 'pain is only weakness leaving the body' so we just carried on."

Monica Bodden
"What was the most difficult part of this whole 3 months for you?"

Glen Noh - Recruit
"I would say adaptation to a new environment. I was not use to this. I was not use to study and taking exams without sleeping. I had to adapt to it. I had to take my exams without sleeping, it was a mental stress."

Melissa Jones - Recruit
"I was awarded the best female during the recruit training. The training was very difficult from a female perspective. All you have to do is keep on challenging yourself in every activity you have to do."

Monica Bodden
"What was the most challenging part for you?"

Melissa Jones - Recruit
"The most challenging part for me was basically the swimming part."

Roy Flowers - Recruit
"I was awarded for the champion swimmer and I work hard towards that. I am always pushing myself to that extent to gain something in this intake number 3 training."

Monica Bodden
"What it a lot of hard work?"

Roy Flowers - Recruit
"Of course it was, very hard work, sometimes we don't get any rest."

Monica Bodden
"The training was intense?"

And the recruits demonstrated 2 techniques in front of a crowd of spectators A log exercise which demonstrated teamwork and a foot and arm drill display.

Commander Elton Benett
"The first display was a log exercise; you may want to know why they are doing a log exercise but if you notice there is a lot of team work involved, it's forming the basics for team work - how well they can coordinate and work and doing it without having to speak. So that's a team work base exercise. The other was a drill display where the recruits demonstrated the level of foot and arms drill that they learnt throughout the recruit training."

The coast Guard was founded in 2005.

Channel 7

More numbers added to the Belize National Coast Guard

There are new recruits to boost the numbers of the six year old Belize National Coastguard which is charged with the maritime safety and security of the Jewel. This morning, at the Williamson Complex in Ladyville, the newest intake of sailors officially joined the coastguard. The male and female recruits went through rigorous training to be able to don the traditional white uniform. News Five's Andrea Polanco reports on today's passing out ceremony.

Andrea Polanco, Reporting

It was full pomp and circumstance as thirty-six of the Belize National Coast Guard's recruit intake number three marched out in crisp white uniforms, polished shoes and faces showing courage, commitment and pride. The graduating class of thirty-three males and three females marched out in unison and stood at attention for the arrival of the dignitaries. The bearers of the presentation of colours stood at the front line. The symbolic and customary inspection of the recruits was carried out by Governor General. The importance of the Belize National Coast Guard and the significance new recruits were highlighted by Minister of Defence, Carlos Perdomo:

Carlos Perdomo

Carlos Perdomo, Minister of Defence

"The contributions made by the Coast Guard to our maritime safety and maritime security are paramount in providing stability not only for the people but stability for our economic growth and for the well-being of the nation. The Coast Guard continues maturing into a national service for our national security and they do this through strategic development, focusing on human resources like the recruits in front of us and infrastructure development."

But inorder to properly safeguard the maritime spaces of Belize, the new recruits had to complete weeks of intense training. The display of elements of the Basic Fitness Test of the Seamen Apprentices shows rigidity of preparation and the importance of team work. In short, Acting Commandant, Commander Elton Bennet says the apprentices are ready for anything:

Acting Commandant, Commander Elton Bennet

Elton Bennet

"It was a long process. The recruiting process started with five hundred applications, we narrowed that down to two hundred to come and sit the exam and eventually, forty of those were selected to form up for training. Today we pass out thirty-six. The training lasted for three months. It included maritime law enforcement, breaking into military life and fisheries enforcement and other law enforcement. As mentioned, they will be on a one year seaman apprenticeship programme. They will under study a senior coast guard officer and they will be employed in the operational field. Every single one of the recruits passing out today will join an operational detachment, which mean they go to sea on a routine basis for two weeks and come back in and do additional duties."

Glen Noh

Of the thirty-six new recruits, four were recognized, including Champion Recruit, Glen Noh and Best Female Recruit, Melissa Jones:

Glen Noh, Champion Recruit

"The training was hard, difficult; it took dedication, it took a lot of physical endurance, mentality. It was a mind game then, like my Lieutenant Junior Grade said, pain is only weakness leaving the body. So we had to carry on."

Andrea Polanco

"So why did you decide to be a part of the Belize National Coast Guard?"

Glen Noh

"I made up my mind, I have had a passion for this job and I like the seas, so of course I want to protect our resources and that is the reason why I am here."

Andrea Polanco

"You're named Champion Recruit, what does this mean for you personally?"

Glen Noh

"Umm, it really took hard and dedication and had to be ambitious to gain it and it took sleepless nights but here I am and I feel proud of myself and I feel really proud of the entire Recruit Intake Number Three because all of them did well also."

Melissa Jones

Melissa Jones, Best Female Recruit

"The past couple of months the training was intense but I managed to keep up with it and as the day goes by I thank the Lord he wakes me up and gives me the courage and strength to go on."

Andrea Polanco

"You were named the best female, how did you do this, really, because the training seems very intense?"

Melissa Jones

"Yes indeed the training is very intense but what keeps me going is that I put myself to compete with the other males, which in we all do the same, training and everything but I always say, if I can do better than two or three of them, then I'll feel much better so that's what keeps me going."

And for these apprentices, the true tests are yet to come:

Carlos Perdomo

"Your character must be built and your personal integrity to do what is morally and ethically right in the face of compromise or in the face of offers. There will be occasions when you will face difficulties in executing your duties, you will be put out of your comfort zone but, nevertheless, you will be expected to perform and serve your people."

Following the one year apprenticeship, the recruits will be promoted to the rank of seamen and qualify as independent engineers as members of the team, or a boarding team member of the Belize National Coast Guard. Reporting for News Five, I'm Andrea Polanco.

The other two recruits recognized today are, Roylee Flowers as the Best Swimmer and Godfrey Alford who was named Champion PT.

Channel 5