From livestock farmer to JDF best recruit - Top Road’s Gregory Brown lifts Commandant’s Award

Euphoria filled the atmosphere on the grounds of the Polo Field at Up Park Camp, headquarters of the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) on Friday as family, friends and well-wishers gathered, with anticipation, to see their loved ones in the passing out parade of Intake 2023/01 of the Jamaica National Service Corps (JNSC).

Among the happiest were the relatives of Gregory Brown, the recipient of the Commandant's Award for best recruit.

His sisters, Kemoya and Taejonay, could not hold back their emotions, grasping at the grand opportunity to squeeze their top graduate brother, whom they have not seen in more than a year.

Brown, 24, drew inspiration from his friends, who are serving members of the force and thought he needed to serve his country as well.

"I joined JDF to serve my country," said Brown, who was earning a steady income as a livestock farmer before enrolling in the JNSC.

"I have wanted to serve my country since my latter years of high school," said the Excelsior High past student who hails from Top Road district, Mavis Bank.

His mother said Brown had shown interest in the uniform groups for a long time.

"I am feeling so happy, I can't even explain the feeling. From primary school, he said he wanted to do scouting [join the Boys Scout], and in high school, I said go and do it. He said, 'Mummy, I don't want to do it' but here we are now. He is a dedicated and hard-working person," the proud mother told the new steam.

The 24-year-old Brown is the eldest of her five children, and explained that it was "the maintained level of discipline" that drew him to join the JNSC programme in February 2023.

Of the 536 recruits who joined the programme, for a year of intense and rigorous training, Brown stood out as the most outstanding of the 306 successful candidates to participate in the passing out parade last Friday. He was given the Commandant's Award, which is presented to the recruit who masters all elements of the training.

Brown said that his leadership skills and dedication were crucial in him landing the award.

"I've always been a leader, and going into to basic training, everybody had their eyes on me," he said.

"The training was rigorous at some points, but all you had to do was dig deep. We did, all of us who graduated today, we persevered," he said.