Professional development opportunities is part of why BCG is motivated

Working the security forces is hard work. Grueling hours in often difficult situations and long periods of time away from family, friends and things most familiar. It is certainly part of the sacrifice servicemen and women make daily but the Belize Coast Guard is doing their part to keep their officers motivated. According to Commandant, Rear Admiral Elton Bennett, professional development opportunities is one way they boost morale.

Rear Admiral Elton Bennett, Commandant, Belize Coast Guard: “Professional career development is very important and I think that that’s one of the welfare systems that has worked well for us. We’ve been able to structure the organization professionally to have training, education and growth within the organization so that you come in you do not remain stagnant. There are opportunities for you to go to overseas, for you to specialize in certain fields and if you find yourself remaining stagnant then that’s not because of the system. We provide a full career path that you develop as an individual and those development include formal education at our institutions here in Belize. Providing educational scholarships for our Coast Guard officers and enlisted personnel over the past year for example we’ve had officers at Galen university,  at the University of Belize through formal memorandums of understanding to ensure that there is continued education of our officers. We have officers all the way in the University of Guyana so providing those career development opportunities for the individual that benefits the organization but providing that for the individual is a big part of their morale boost. Nobody wants to go into an organization where they remain stagnant. You  want to ensure that there is upward mobility and Belize Coast Guard provides that in our career development plan so that’s one aspect of it I think that’s the main on. Other areas are activities such as training you know that certainly contributes a lot to ward uplifting the spirits of the sailors to get out and do activities together as a team so that’s again professional training within the service but I think one of the big things that we realized this year I think the emphasis is there because we are coming out of COVID is the fact that we are able to participate in sporting events countrywide.”

Rear Admiral Bennett also added that officers, who live on the base, are afforded three meals each day as well.