BDF Soldiers to Learn French Ahead of Haiti Security Support Deployment

Thirty-five military personnel will be undergoing linguistic classes to learn the French language.  It is an initiative that came about after several countries including Belize have agreed to aid in the Multinational Security Support (MSS) in Haiti. As it stands, the current language spoken in Haiti is French and Haitian Creole which could present a barrier for foreign military support on the ground.  I was at the Price Barracks this morning and spoke with Lieutenant Colonel Jermaine Burns of the Future Plans Officer of the BDF.

Lt.Col. Jermaine Burns, Chief of Staff, Belize Defence Force: “Today we have a very important function being carried out by the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie which is a part of the cultural intelligence build up for the soldiers and sailors that will be deploying to Haiti as you rightly said before. These gentlemen will be undergoing three weeks of intensive French language introduction which is a part of the package for when they land in theater they’re able to communicate effectively with their partners and if any situation may arise they’ll be able to communicate effectively with whomever they may meet on the ground while they’re conducting their duties. So essentially, this organization has voluntarily come into country through the Organization of La Francophonie, coordinated by our chief of staff, to ensure that the soldiers are equipped with this very necessary aspect of communicating so that once they’re on the ground they don’t find themselves in a scuffle where they’re unable to handle themselves communicating.”

Ernesto Vasquez, Reporter: Actually on the ground here you have actual French instructors from France.

Lt.Col. Jermaine Burns, Chief of Staff, Belize Defence Force: “Right, so one of the French instructors that just introduced herself has said that she has worked years along with our Kenyan partners and militaries across the world, but focused in Kenya on preparing the 1,000 plus that are already on the ground in Haiti. And it’s the same package that she plans to deliver here in Belize to ensure that our soldiers are equally equipped to be able to communicate once the situation gets dire and requires that somebody communicates. She has also said that she’s worked along with Guatemalans in the same respect to prepare them and we will be that 1000 plus, our 35, that would have been prepared properly to deploy to Haiti in this respect, the language.”

The participants in the training are from the BDF and the Belize Coast Guard.  The training is being conducted by La Francophonie (IOF) with support from the Alliance Francaise of Guatemala which organized the training for Belize.