KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Defence Act is to be amended to formalise the designation of the commanding officer of the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) as the Chief of Defence Staff.

Prime Minister Andrew Holness told the House of Representatives yesterday that the JDF has been using the designation over time, without making the necessary amendments to the Defence Act.

However, he said that in amending the Defence Act to accommodate the establishment of the Jamaica National Service Corps (JNSC), which will comprise a new level of service specifically for youths aged 18-23, the government would also amend the act to formalize the use of the title.

He noted that amending the act would codify the replacement of the older designation of Chief of Staff to the more modern title of Chief of Defence Staff.

The Chief of Defence Staff is usually a single-point military advisor to defence ministers on military matters, with authority over the chiefs of other areas of defence, including air and sea.

Jamaica’s last Chief of Staff of the JDF was Major-General Stewart Saunders, who replaced Rear Admiral Hardley Lewin in 2007. Saunders was also appointed Jamaica’s first Chief of Defence Staff in 2008.

He was succeeded by Major-General Antony Bertram Anderson, who retired in 2016 to become the country’s first National Security Advisor. Anderson was succeeded by current Chief of Defence Staff, Major-General Rocky Meade.

Balford Henry