Bermuda & Caribbean Officers Complete Program
Fourteen junior officers from the Royal Bermuda Regiment, Turks & Caicos Islands Regiment, Cayman Islands Regiment and Jamaica Defence Force took part in a two-week programme delivered by British Army personnel hosted by the Royal Bermuda Regiment at Warwick Camp.
A spokesperson said, “Fourteen junior officers from four defence forces enhanced their understanding of strategic planning during a two-week programme delivered by British Army personnel hosted by the Royal Bermuda Regiment [RBR] at Warwick Camp.
“The Junior Officers Tactical Awareness Course [JOTAC] aims to equip participants with the knowledge and tools to effectively contribute to mapping out battlegroup operations in a contemporary environment.
“Members of the RBR were joined by counterparts from the Turks and Caicos Islands Regiment, Cayman Islands Regiment and Jamaica Defence Force for the programme, which was adapted to meet the operational requirements of the region’s battalions.
“The objective was to arm each of the students with the requisite military knowledge and tactical understanding required of a junior captain.
“Lieutenant Colonel Vicky Fraser, of the Royal School of Artillery, and Major Tom Brown, of The Rifles, travelled from the UK to provide the instruction, which focused on what’s known as the combat estimate – a series of seven questions used to formulate a plan of action.”
Lt Col Fraser said: “In the first week, we used conventional warfare as our vehicle for the students to apply the estimate process and plan against.
“In the second week we almost reversed the scenario back to the students’ area of comfort, area of most knowledge so we gave them a HADR [humanitarian assistance and disaster relief] scenario in which to use the combat estimate.”
She added: “We recognised that for this to have utility for the students going forward, we should put it within a scenario with which they were familiar, something they could plan against and take benefit from going back to their defence forces in various countries.”
The spokesperson said, “Lt Col Fraser described her experience working with the cohort as ‘overwhelmingly positive’.”
“The students have all approached the course in a pragmatic, positive, can-do, collegiate attitude,” she said. “They have been a wonderful group of people to be around. They really learnt from each other and shared experiences.”
The spokesperson said, “Lt Scott Brown was among the RBR participants on the course and said that students were ‘pushed to the limits’ during deep analysis of a range of topics.”
“The biggest takeaway was to realise how, by using a structured process, it is possible to achieve an in-depth understanding of a particular circumstance,” he said.
The 41-year-old from Warwick, who is a senior trust administrator in civilian life, added: “At times it felt like we were a bit lost while we were in it, but when you come out the other side of a six to eight-hour session of analysis, you can see why it’s so beneficial.
“We were able to reach a final understanding that was far more thorough and substantive than where we began.”
Lt Brown said: “The quality of people on the course was exceptional and, as is usually the case with the seasoned UK instructors – they were phenomenal; their prestige and gravitas was notable.”
The spokesperson said, “Captain Cassandra Jocson, of the Cayman Islands Regiment, said that she finds planning enjoyable but the course provided a deeper awareness of how to do so effectively.”
“JOTAC has shown me the level of depth that goes into producing a properly considered plan,” she said.
“I was familiar with the combat estimate and its seven questions, but the course has shown me that within each question there are numerous sub-questions and considerations that must be taken into account.”
The spokesperson said, “It is hoped that the RBR can offer the JOTAC every three years as part of its continuing commitment to development.”
