The Defence Force has responded to questions about the call-out of army reserves, saying it is a customary request made by the Chief of Defence Staff to augment the manpower requirements to fulfil the ceremonial and operational obligations of the TTDF that occur annually around this time. On Sunday, Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley called on the Government to explain why the reserves had been called out.
Rowley quoted from the Defence Force Act, which says the President may call out the Volunteer Defence Force or any portion of it for actual military service with their arms and ammunition in aid of the civil power if a riot, disturbance of the peace, or other emergency requiring such service occurs.
But in a release yesterday, the civil military affairs officer of the Defence Force Major Al Alexander said reservists do not go on joint patrols or perform any other duties when called out.
He said: “These requirements include but are not limited to the various formation anniversary parades, city, borough and Independence Day parades, the Commander in Chief Parade, scheduled for September 20, as well as the preparation for the Christmas into Carnival joint patrols which have been instrumental in reducing the spate of robberies and other crimes, especially in the cities and urban areas.”
He added that the first such call-out occurred in 2009 for the Summit of the Americas, when the reserves were used to secure Defence Force bases and barracks while the regular forces were deployed to perform roles in aid to the civil power. “Every single year since then the call-out was requested by the sitting Chief of Defence Staff and approved by the sitting President and Commander in Chief.”
In the current call-out, he said, 68 reservists were being used “as force multipliers and performing similar guard duties as is the custom during the period August 29, 2014 to January 7, 2015 (136 days).” Reservists, Alexander explained, were any members of the TTDF’s reserves. “These reservists are either veterans of the formations of the Defence Force or civilians who have successfully completed reserves military training and have committed to serve the nation.
“The efforts and dedication of these men and women to provide support to the Defence Force in the execution of ceremonial and operational duties underscores their patriotism and reinforces the motto of the Defence Force, One Force, One Effort, One Victory.”
The Defence Act 14:01, Section 223, is the only provision within the act that permits the Chief of Defence Staff to access the reserves. In fact, Alexander said the TTDF was reviewing the section of the act and preparing recommendations to make it more relevant. National Security Minister Gary Griffith said the request had been for 50 reserves, and added that he believed the PNM’s questions were an attempt to try and cause fear, unease and panic towards destabilising the country.