The Editor, Sir:

I make reference to the letter under the heading 'An absurd JDF policy', which was published under the authorship of Colonel Allan Douglas, on Friday, March 13.

In his attempt to advance a supposedly cogent argument in support of Canada's decision to appoint a female governor general of a foreign nationality, Colonel Douglas fallaciously contends that the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) policy of the 1970s bars officers who are non-Jamaican from holding the post of chief of staff.

No truth to allegations

While the comparison between a political post of a ceremonial nature and the highest position being held by the country's primary defence structure is in itself a classic exercise in absurdity, there is simply no truth to the goodly colonel's allegations.

Jamaica does not have a policy and has never sought to bar anyone who served in the Jamaica Defence Force from achieving his or her highest ambitions.

There is no policy in place, and there never was, which places strictures or restrictions on persons of foreign nationality from being promoted to any level in the army.

In fact, the first chief of staff of the Jamaica Defence Force was Brigadier Paul Crook (1962-1965), a British officer serving on secondment. He was followed by Brigadier David Smith (1965-1973), a Bahamian.

Exemplary leadership

Successive political administrations are of the view, and I suspect that successive members of the defence board are of a similar persuasion, that Jamaicans who have served in the army should be accorded the same opportunities to serve at the highest level as those who were born elsewhere.

The level of discipline, the operating standards and the fact that the JDF remains relevant, is testimony to the exemplary leadership which the organisation has had over the years.

I applaud Canada on its open-minded approach to accord the privilege to a woman who was born in our territory, indeed our neighbour, Haiti, to become its governor general.

Appointing persons born outside of many countries to high offices in these countries, because of the sterling service individuals have rendered, is a path being pursued by many sovereign states and reflects that democracy is not at all standing at attention, but is moving with the times.

I am, etc.,

Col TREVOR MACMILLAN

Minister of National Security