B.D.F. Commander Steven Ortega Retires Today

Brigadier General Steven Ortega wore his battle dress uniform for the last time today as he goes off on retirement after four years at the helm of the Belize Defense Force.  During his tenure as commander, the B.D.F. has had many achievements.  Likewise, there have also been numerous challenges.  As the highest ranking military officer now makes way for his successor, he took a brief moment to reflect on the highs and lows that the B.D.F. experienced under his watch.  General Ortega began by acknowledging God in his life.

Steven Ortega

Brig. Gen. Steven Ortega, Commander, Belize Defense Force

“I’d like to thank the good Lord for giving me the opportunity to serve the people of Belize in this capacity, as Commander of the Belize Defense Force.  I’d like to thank both governments because I started off with one administration and finishing off with the other, for allowing me to be the leader of the force.  But also not only a leader or a commander for the force but also an advisor to them in the capacity of Commander, Belize Defense Force.  It was a humbling experience, I learned a lot and I believe I gave some good advice.  Things that could have been done better, there’s always that hindsight and I believe there will always be stuff that you would like to change and stuff that you would like to bring forward and I believe that we did some remarkable adjustments, especially when it comes to the welfare of the soldiers.  …I had an excellent team working with me as staff officers and even as battalion commanders and we implemented quite a bit of changes to ensure that the soldiers’ morale and welfare always continued to rise.”