JDF thrills public with air and sea stunts

At precisely 9 a.m., downtown Kingston's Victoria Pier came alive with a military display that excited a captive crowd.

Three helicopters from the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) hovered over Kingston Harbour, their blades stirring up water that sprayed the onlookers gathered at the edge of the pier. The mist, rather than causing discomfort, brought laughter and excitement among the civilians, cadets, and Coast Guard personnel who came to witness the spectacle. Four ships glided smoothly into position along the pier to face the 14 flags representing the participating nations of Exercise Event Horizon 2025, adding to the precision of the military activity. Exercise Event Horizon, which is now in its third year, is a high-level validation programme designed to simulate real-world threats or disasters in a controlled environment.

In front of the waving flags at yesterday's opening of the exercise, JDF Chief of Defence Staff Vice Admiral Antonette Wemyss-Gorman stood with her officers as the focus of a ceremonial salute. The helicopters, in perfect synchronisation, turned mid-air to face her just as a series of explosions echoed across the harbour. The booms reverberated through the pier, accompanied by the sight of soldiers hanging from the helicopters, their bodies half-out of the aircraft as they saluted. Some persons shrieked and ran despite being previously warned about the explosion. The crowd buzzed with excitement as the captains of the four ships joined in, executing their own ceremonial salute to the Vice Admiral. Among the spectators was a woman who introduced herself as Miss Bev, who explained why she came.

"I heard about the ceremony on the radio," she said, her voice warm and animated. "They said we'd get to see the JDF in action, showing us their land and sea capabilities. I just celebrated my 68th birthday last week, so this is like a little continuation of the fun." Miss Bev described the ceremony with a touch of humour.

"I saw the helicopters flying from west to east and the ships coming from the opposite direction. There were police boats zipping around too, but I was expecting more. They said there'd be explosions, and I heard some, but it wasn't quite as big as I thought it would be," she added with a shrug, clearly still enjoying herself.

On the opposite side of the pier, Angella Goode said that watching the JDF in action "makes me proud".

"They're so disciplined and professional, and that salute to the woman admiral gave me chills. It's moments like this that remind me why we should respect our uniformed officers. These are the kinds of traits I'd love to see more of in Jamaicans," she said.

The Royal Bahamas Defence Force was also part of the day's display. Captain Carlon Bethell, one of the event's main planners who THE STAR spoke with, described the ceremony as "fantastic", especially the sight of the JDF vessels and his own ship sailing in formation, saluting Wemyss-Gorman.

"It was a momentous occasion and seeing the helicopters in action was especially impressive for us. We don't have helicopters in the Bahamas military, so any time we get to see aerial assets like these, it's a real treat," he said.

The ceremony set the tone for what promises to be an intensive multinational exercise involving 14 nations, 33 agencies, 11 aircraft, and more than 500 participants. It will run until January 26. With its focus on maritime law enforcement, search and rescue, disaster response, and cybersecurity security, the exercise aims to strengthen collaboration across the Caribbean basin.