Turks and Caicos Islands Regiment

Home defence unit of the Turks and Caicos Islands

Turks and Caicos Islands Regiment

Active| 2020–present
Country|  Turks and Caicos Islands
United Kingdom
Branch|  British Army
Type| Line Infantry
Role| Internal security, local and regional humanitarian operations, maritime security operations
Size| Authorized strength: 6 officers and 40 part-time reserve personnel[1]
Commanders
Commanding officer| Lieutenant Colonel Ennis Grant
Warrant Officer| WO2 Joel Richards
Colonel of
the Regiment| General Sir Patrick Sanders (Honorary Colonel of the Regiment)

Military unit

The Turks and Caicos Islands Regiment is the home defence unit of the British Overseas Territory of the Turks and Caicos Islands. It is a territorial infantry and engineer reserve unit of the British Armed Forces that was formed in 2020. The Regiment has an authorized strength level objective of 46 personnel, akin to that of a platoon-sized unit.[1]

## Background

[edit]

The Turks and Caicos Islands, as a British Overseas Territory, are defended by the United Kingdom.[2]

## Structure

[edit]

The TCI Regiment state that they are a Contingent Military Force and have three main functions:

1. Defence of the Islands
2. Disaster Relief and Humanitarian Assistance
3. Border Protection.[3]

## History

[edit]

Governor Nigel Dakin announced in early December 2019 that the Turks and Caicos was going to build its own defence regiment, the Turks and Caicos Regiment, with the assistance of the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence, similar to the Royal Bermuda Regiment, the Cayman Islands Regiment, the Royal Montserrat Defence Force, the Falkland Islands Defence Force, and the Royal Gibraltar Regiment. The Turks and Caicos Regiment, like the Royal Bermuda Regiment and the Cayman Islands Regiment, would focus on increasing the nation's security, and, in times of natural disasters, the regiment would be trained in engineering and communications. In mid-December 2019, a team from the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence was on Turks and Caicos to start building the regiment. It is projected that the Turk and Caicos Regiment will become operational sometime in the third quarter of 2020.[4]

In spring 2020, a Security and Assistance Team from the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence arrived in Turks and Caicos to assist with the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season, and to help build the new Turks and Caicos Regiment.[5]

In early June 2020, Lieutenant Colonel Ennis Grant was appointed as commanding officer of the new Turks and Caicos Regiment.[6] An additional five permanent staff and forty reserve posts consisting of non-commissioned officers and marines will be recruited later in 2020.[6]

Major John Galleymore was appointed as Second-in-Command of the Turks and Caicos Islands Regiment.[7]

The first passing out parade occurred in summer 2021.[8]

In late March 2023, General Sir Patrick Sanders, the British Army's Chief of the General Staff, visited the Caribbean on a number of meetings on British-Caribbean Defence. One of these stops was to the Turks & Caicos Islands, during his stop he met with the Governor, Premier, and the Turks & Caicos Islands Regiment. General Sir Patrick Sanders was made Honorary Colonel of the Turk & Caicos Islands Regiment. His visit was also joined by Brigadier The Rt. Hon. the Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton, the Honorary Colonel of the Cayman Islands Regiment.[9][10]

## Commanding officers

[edit]

As of January 2020, the commanding officer is Lieutenant Colonel Ennis Grant.[7]

## Uniform

[edit]

### Cap Badge

[edit]

The national challenges are represented in the Regiment's cap badge. Two symbols laid on top of one another. The Phoenix - a mythical bird that rises renewed and strengthened from the ashes of disaster, in Turks and Caicos Island’s case of natural disaster like Hurricanes, and the crossed Tridents representing the support the regiment will provide to the protection of maritime borders both on land and sea.[11]

### Clothing

[edit]

Personnel wear standard British Army uniforms.

1. No. 1 Dress - similar in cut & style to The Rifles
2. No. 8 Combat Uniform - standard MTP uniform.

### Ranks

[edit]

Ranks of the Turks and Caicos Islands Regiment are exactly the same as the rest of the Royal Marines and British Army:

Commissioned officers

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

|
|
|

Turks and Caicos Islands Regiment |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
*Honorary Colonel | Lieutenant-colonel | Major | Captain | Lieutenant | Second lieutenant | Officer cadet

Non-commissioned officers

Rank group  | Senior NCOs  | Junior NCOs  | Enlisted

|
|
|

Turks and Caicos Islands Regiment |  |  |  |

* * *

|  |  | No insignia

* * *

Warrant officer class 1 | Warrant officer class 2 | Colour sergeant | Sergeant | Corporal | Lance corporal | Marine

## Equipment

[edit]

### Rifles

[edit]

Name  | Origin  | Type  | Cartridge  | Image  | Details

|
|
|
|
|

Colt's M5 carbine |  United States | Assault Rifle | 5.56×45mm NATO |  | Adopted as the Standard issue assault rifle for Regiment Personnel.

[12]

### Pistols

[edit]

Name  | Origin  | Type  | Cartridge  | Image  | Details

|
|
|
|
|

Glock 19 (L137A1)  |  Austria | Semi-automatic pistol | 9×19mm Parabellum |  | Adopted as the new standard-issue sidearm pistol for Regiment Personnel.

### Vehicles

[edit]

Turks and Caicos Islands Regiment used the following vehicles as of 2025:

Name  | Origin  | Type  | Number  | Image  | Details

|
|
|
|
|

Operational field Vehicles
Chevrolet Silverado Operations Truck  |  United States | Field Operation Vehicle  | 4  |  | The modified Chevrolet Silverado trucks with the Z71 Off-Road Package has been obtained for the Turks and Caicos Islands Regiment.

## See also

[edit]

* British Army Training and Support Unit Belize
* Overseas military bases of the United Kingdom
* British Armed Forces
* Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b "Turks and Caicos Islands Regiment".
2. ^ "CIA World Factbook- Turks and Caicos Islands". Retrieved 19 July 2019.
3. ^ "Facebook- Official Turks and Caicos Islands Page". Facebook. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
4. ^ "TCI to build its own military regiment". Turks and Caicos Weekly News. 16 December 2019. Retrieved 22 July 2020.
5. ^ "Arrival Of A Security Assistance Team In TCI From The UK". Turks and Caicos Tourist Board. 23 April 2020. Retrieved 22 July 2020.
6. ^ a b "TCI Regiment gets its first commanding officer". Turks and Caicos Weekly News. 12 June 2020. Retrieved 22 July 2020.
7. ^ a b "Turks and Caicos Islands Regiment".
8. ^ FCDO, Website (31 July 2021). "Turks and Caicos Islands Governor addresses the TCI regiment's first passing out parade". GOV.UK. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
9. ^ "International Armoured Vehicles".
10. ^ "Head of British Army in TCI". 28 March 2023.
11. ^ "Turks and Caicos Islands Governor addresses the TCI regiment's first passing out parade". 31 July 2021.
12. ^ "Royal Bermuda Regiment helps Turks and Caicos Islands Regiment ranges go live".

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