Royal Montserrat Defence Force

Home defence unit of Montserrat

Royal Monserrat Defence Force

Badge of the Royal Monserrat Defence Force

Active| 1898-present
Country|  Montserrat
United Kingdom
Branch|  British Army
Type| Military reserve force
Role| Civil Defence, local and regional humanitarian operations, Ceremonial Duties
Size| 40 Reserve personnel as of 2018-19; Objective for 2021-22: 50 personnel[1]
Garrison/HQ| Brades
Commanders
Commanding officer| Lt Col Alvin E. Ryan, ED CCM BEM
Regimental Sergeant Major| WO1 Barry Carlisle Williams
Commander-In-Chief| King Charles III
Insignia
Abbreviation| RMDF

Military unit

The Royal Montserrat Defence Force is the home defence unit of the British Overseas Territory of Montserrat. The force has an authorized strength level objective of 50 reserve personnel as of 2021-22, akin in size to that of a platoon-sized unit.[2]

## History

[edit]

### Foundation

[edit]

The Royal Montserrat Defence Force was raised in 1898. The unit has a historical association with the Irish Guards.[3][4][5][6]

### The World Wars

[edit]

At the outbreak of World War 1 in 1914 very quickly many in the Caribbean including in Montserrat mobilised. [7]

### 1995-1999 Soufrière Hills Volcanic Eruption

[edit]

During the Soufrière Hill Eruption the RMDF along with support from mainland UK Military forces was a vital asset the response in the evacuations and Humanitarian Aid and Disaster Relief (HADR) Operations. [8]

### King Charles III Coronation

[edit]

In 2023, the Royal Montserrat Defence Force was one of four Caribbean British Overseas Military forces that took part in King Charles III Coronation Parade. The RMDF was joined by Royal Bermuda Regiment, Cayman Islands Regiment, and Turks and Caicos Islands Regiment from the Caribbean. [9] [10]

### Current Day

[edit]

The Defence Force is today a reduced force of about forty to fifty volunteer soldiers, primarily concerned with civil Defence and ceremonial duties. The current Commanding Officer is Lieutenant-Colonel Alvin Ryan, who was first appointed the force commanding officer in 2014, and who assumed command from the late Captain Horatio Tuitt. The appointment of a unit commander at the Lieutenant-Colonel level in 2022 was a first-time event for the force.[11] As a British Overseas Territory (BOT), defence of Montserrat remains the responsibility of the United Kingdom. On 5 September 2024 Governor of Montserrat announced Major General Alex turner as Honorary Colonel of RMDF. [12]

## Uniform

[edit]

### Ranks

[edit]

Ranks are as follows:(The RMDF use the Star of St Patrick as a 'pip' like Irish Guards)

Rank group  | General / flag officers  | Senior officers  | Junior officers

|
|
|

Royal Montserrat Defence Force |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Lieutenant Colonel | Major | Captain | Lieutenant | Second lieutenant | Officer cadet
Rank group  | Senior NCOs  | Junior NCOs  | Enlisted

|
|
|

Royal Montserrat Defence Force |  |  |  |

* * *

|  |  | No insignia

* * *

Warrant officer class 1 | Warrant officer class 2 | Staff | Sergeant | Corporal | Lance corporal | Private

## See also

[edit]

* Royal Bermuda Regiment
* Cayman Islands Regiment
* Turks and Caicos Islands Regiment
* Royal Gibraltar Regiment
* Falkland Islands Defence Force
* British Army Training and Support Unit Belize
* Overseas military bases of the United Kingdom

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Government of Montserrat 2019-2020 Budget Statement, p. 101" (PDF). 15 May 2019. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
2. ^ "Government of Montserrat 2019-2020 Budget Statement, p. 101" (PDF). 15 May 2019. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
3. ^ "UK Government White Paper on Overseas Territories, June, 2012. Page 23" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 31 October 2012. Retrieved 25 August 2012.
4. ^ Government of Montserrat: Lively and colourful Queen's Birthday Parade. 21 June 2012
5. ^ "Montserrat Reporter: Defence Force Marks 100 Years of Service". Archived from the original on 18 October 2020. Retrieved 25 August 2012.
6. ^ "The Montserrat Reporter: 2012 Queen's Birthday Parade at Salem Park". Archived from the original on 4 August 2012. Retrieved 25 August 2012.
7. ^ "The Leeward Islands".
8. ^ https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a7977e740f0b642860d85c9/ev635.pdf
9. ^ https://www.gov.ms/2024/05/22/royal-montserrat-defence-force-honoured-with-coronation-medals/
10. ^ "Who took part in the Coronation Procession?". 4 May 2023.
11. ^ "An Historic moment as the Royal Montserrat Defence Force has an Officer at the Rank of Lieutenant Colonel". ZJB Radio Montserrat. 7 March 2022. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
12. ^ https://www.gov.ms/2024/09/06/new-appointment-of-honorary-colonel-to-the-royal-montserrat-defence-force/

* v
* t
* e

Montserrat articles

* History
* piracy
* slavery

Geography|

* Climate
* Environment
* Fauna
* Amphibians and reptiles
* Birds
* Mammals
* Flora
* Islands
* Rivers
* Volcanoes
* Montserrat Volcano Observatory

Politics|

| Governance|

* Premier
* Elections
* Governor
* Judiciary
* Legislature
* Politics
* Political parties

|

Economy|

* Agriculture
* Telecommunications
* Transport

Education|

* Secondary School
* Community College
* University of Science, Arts and Technology

Culture|

* Coat of arms
* Demographics
* Education
* Flag
* Music
* Sports

* Outline
* Index
* Bibliography

* Category

* v
* t
* e

Military of North America

Sovereign states|

* Antigua and Barbuda
* Bahamas
* Barbados
* Belize
* Canada
* Costa Rica
* Cuba
* Dominica
* Dominican Republic
* El Salvador
* Grenada
* Guatemala
* Haiti
* Honduras
* Jamaica
* Mexico
* Nicaragua
* Panama
* Saint Kitts and Nevis
* Saint Lucia
* Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
* Trinidad and Tobago
* United States

Dependencies and
other territories|

* Anguilla
* Aruba
* Bermuda
* British Virgin Islands
* Caribbean Netherlands (Bonaire, Saba and Sint Eustatius)
* Cayman Islands
* Collectivity of Saint Martin
* Curaçao
* Greenland
* Guadeloupe
* Martinique
* Montserrat
* Puerto Rico
* Saint Barthélemy
* Saint Pierre and Miquelon
* Sint Maarten
* Turks and Caicos Islands
* United States Virgin Islands

The dependent territory of Federal Dependencies of Venezuela (Venezuela) is not listed. The Federated state of Nueva Esparta (Venezuela) is not listed. The Department of San Andrés and Providencia (Colombia) is not listed. The uninhabited islands of Clipperton Island (France) and Navassa Island (United States) are not listed. The uninhabited disputed territories of Bajo Nuevo Bank and Serranilla Bank are not listed.

* v
* t
* e

British Army

General
(lists)|

* Ministry of Defence
* Army Headquarters
* Army Board
* Chief of the General Staff
* Deputy Chief of the General Staff
* Army Sergeant Major
* Current serving senior officers
* Future Soldier
* Structure of the British Army
* Order of precedence
* War crimes
* Weapons of mass destruction
* chemical
* nuclear
* Installations
* Equipment (rifles)
* Recruitment
* Training
* Ranks
* officer rank insignia
* other ranks
* other ranks rank insignia
* Uniforms
* National Army Museum
* History
* Timeline
* Army Reserve

Regiments
and corps|

| Household Cavalry|

* Life Guards
* Blues and Royals
* Household Cavalry Regiment
* Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment

|

Royal
Armoured Corps|

* 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards
* Royal Scots Dragoon Guards
* Royal Dragoon Guards
* Queen's Royal Hussars
* Royal Lancers
* King's Royal Hussars
* Light Dragoons
* Royal Tank Regiment
* Royal Yeomanry
* Royal Wessex Yeomanry
* Queen's Own Yeomanry
* Scottish and North Irish Yeomanry

Infantry|

| Foot Guards|

* Grenadier Guards
* Coldstream Guards
* Scots Guards
* Irish Guards
* Welsh Guards
* London Guards

|

Line
infantry|

* Royal Regiment of Scotland
* Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment
* Duke of Lancaster's Regiment
* Royal Regiment of Fusiliers
* Royal Anglian Regiment
* Royal Yorkshire Regiment
* Mercian Regiment
* Royal Welsh
* Royal Irish Regiment

Rifles|

* Royal Gurkha Rifles
* The Rifles

Airborne|

* Parachute Regiment

Overseas
regiments|

* Royal Gibraltar Regiment
* Royal Bermuda Regiment
* Royal Montserrat Defence Force
* Cayman Islands Regiment
* Turks and Caicos Islands Regiment
* Falkland Islands Defence Force

Other combat arms|

* Special Air Service
* Special Reconnaissance Regiment
* Ranger Regiment
* Army Air Corps

Combat support arms|

* Royal Artillery
* Royal Engineers
* Royal Corps of Signals
* Intelligence Corps
* Honourable Artillery Company

Combat services|

* Royal Army Chaplains' Department
* Royal Logistic Corps
* Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
* Small Arms School Corps
* Royal Army Physical Training Corps
* General Service Corps
* Royal Corps of Army Music
* Royal Army Medical Service

| Adjutant General's Corps|

* Staff and Personnel Support
* Educational and Training Services Branch
* Army Legal Services Branch
* Royal Military Police
* Military Provost Staff
* Military Provost Guard Service

|

| Other|

* Cavalry
* Yeomanry

|

Category
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template