Coast Guard @ 15!

At the top of the newscast you heard from C.E.O.  Dario Tapia when we met him at a celebration held at the Belize Coast Guard’s headquarters today. The press was invited to witness the symbolic cutting of the cake as the Belize Coast Guard commemorated its fifteen-year anniversary. Here’s a report on how that went:

Andrea Polanco, Reporting

The Belize Coast Guard is fifteen years old today. To commemorate this milestone, fifteen of its officers in crisp white uniforms kicked off the celebration with a parade. The Colour Guard followed the display bearing flags. On hand for the anniversary were new Minister and Minister of State in the Ministry of Defence & Border Security Florencio Marin and Oscar Mira, as well as newly appointed CEO Retired Brigadier General Dario Tapia. Minister Marin commended the Coast Guard for their steadfast service.

Florencio Marin, Minister, Defence & Border Security

Florencio Marin

“Over the past fifteen years, the Coast Guard has grown from strength to strength from fifty to over five hundred strong and has led the charge for freedom and justice of our sovereignty at sea. The proud men and women in Blue have remained true to their creed and have never wavered in their dedication to uphold their national security mandate.”

Since it was formed in 2005, the Belize Coast Guard has grown significantly. Its operations, human resources, infrastructure, and assets have expanded to strengthen the Belize Coast Guard to become one of the best military bodies in the region. But the work is never done – as Acting Commandant Gregory Soberanis explains, they are looking to expand their presence at a new base in the south.

Commander Gregory Soberanis

Commander Gregory Soberanis, Acting Commandant, Belize Coast Guard

“We have seen the Coast Guard grow from fifty to over five hundred. We have seen our vessel fleet grow from five Colombian boats to now over thirty vessels of various types and sizes. One of the things that we look forward to is the development of station Big Creek. We really want to look at how we can develop a station there to expand our ability to respond to incidents at sea.”

As a part of its tradition, the cutting and sharing of the anniversary cake featured the eldest sailor and youngest sailor of the Belize Coast Guard. It’s a symbolic gesture of the passing on of best practices to continue the work of the coast guard. Acting Commandant Gregory Soberanis says the achievements resulted from leadership, collaboration and commitment.

Commander Gregory Soberanis

“We are proud of the fact that as a maritime organization, we provide maritime safety and security for the people of Belize. And truly over the fifteen years, the Coast Guard has grown leaps and bounds. It has to do with good leadership; great partnerships and the commitment of the men and women in the organization. And so, all those components merge together to make us who we are and have been able to form the foundation for us, an organization for our growth and development.”

Andrea Polanco reporting for News Five.