Trinidad and Tobago Regiment
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The Trinidad and Tobago Regiment is the main ground force element of the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force
. It has approximately 2,800 men and women organized into a Regiment Headquarters (located in Port of Spain
) and four battalions. There is also a Volunteer Defence Force that has been renamed the Defence Force Reserves. The regiment has two primary roles; Maintaining the internal security of Trinidad and Tobago
and the assistance of local law enforcement.
As one of the larger military forces in the region, the Trinidad and Tobago Regiment is also one of the main units used in peacekeeping
and humanitarian situations from the Caribbean
region, most recently in Grenada
after Hurricane Ivan
.
The Trinidad and Tobago Regiment also provides the bulk of the musicians assigned to the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force Steel Orchestra, the world's only military steel band
.
were split and came under the control of the main nations formed by the split. The 1st Battalion became the 1st Battalion, Jamaica Regiment, while the 2nd Battalion was transferred to Trinidad and Tobago to become the 1st Battalion, Trinidad and Tobago Regiment. A second battalion was raised in 1965, but was disbanded in 1972.
The Regiment also maintains a base at Camp Omega, also at Chaguaramas, which is used primarily for specialised training.
Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force
The Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force is the military organisation responsible for the defence of the twin island Republic of Trinidad and Tobago...
. It has approximately 2,800 men and women organized into a Regiment Headquarters (located in Port of Spain
Port of Spain
Port of Spain, also written as Port-of-Spain, is the capital of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and the country's third-largest municipality, after San Fernando and Chaguanas. The city has a municipal population of 49,031 , a metropolitan population of 128,026 and a transient daily population...
) and four battalions. There is also a Volunteer Defence Force that has been renamed the Defence Force Reserves. The regiment has two primary roles; Maintaining the internal security of Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying just off the coast of northeastern Venezuela and south of Grenada in the Lesser Antilles...
and the assistance of local law enforcement.
As one of the larger military forces in the region, the Trinidad and Tobago Regiment is also one of the main units used in peacekeeping
Peacekeeping
Peacekeeping is an activity that aims to create the conditions for lasting peace. It is distinguished from both peacebuilding and peacemaking....
and humanitarian situations from the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
region, most recently in Grenada
Grenada
Grenada is an island country and Commonwealth Realm consisting of the island of Grenada and six smaller islands at the southern end of the Grenadines in the southeastern Caribbean Sea...
after Hurricane Ivan
Hurricane Ivan
Hurricane Ivan was a large, long-lived, Cape Verde-type hurricane that caused widespread damage in the Caribbean and United States. The cyclone was the ninth named storm, the sixth hurricane and the fourth major hurricane of the active 2004 Atlantic hurricane season...
.
The Trinidad and Tobago Regiment also provides the bulk of the musicians assigned to the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force Steel Orchestra, the world's only military steel band
Steelpan
Steelpans is a musical instrument originating from The Republic of Trinidad and Tobago...
.
History
The Trinidad and Tobago Regiment has its origins the late 19th century, though it was directly spawned from the break-up of the Federation of the West Indies in 1962. At that time, the two battalions of the West India RegimentWest India Regiment
The West India Regiment was an infantry unit of the British Army recruited from and normally stationed in the British colonies of the Caribbean between 1795 and 1927. The regiment differed from similar forces raised in other parts of the British Empire in that it formed an integral part of the...
were split and came under the control of the main nations formed by the split. The 1st Battalion became the 1st Battalion, Jamaica Regiment, while the 2nd Battalion was transferred to Trinidad and Tobago to become the 1st Battalion, Trinidad and Tobago Regiment. A second battalion was raised in 1965, but was disbanded in 1972.
Major conflicts
The Trinidad and Tobago Regiment has been involved in two major conflicts.- On April 21, 1970, 750 members of the regiment mutinied, under the leadership of Raffique ShahRaffique ShahRaffique Shah is a Trinidad and Tobago trade union leader and political commentator. He is also a former Member of Parliament and mutineer, having led a mutiny of Trinidad and Tobago Regiment in 1970. He was born the son of a sugar cane worker and housewife in March 1946. His early education was...
and Rex LassalleRex LassalleReginald Andrew Lassalle, better known as Rex Lassalle was born in Belmont, Port of Spain, Trinidad in 1945. He attended Belmont Boys Intermediate School and St. Mary's College, Port of Spain...
. After a five-day stand-off, the mutineers surrendered. The leadership was court-martialed and Shah, Lasalle and others were jailed (see Black Power RevolutionBlack Power RevolutionThe Black Power Revolution, also known as the "Black Power Movement", 1970 Revolution, Black Power Uprising and February Revolution, was an attempt by a number of social elements, people and interest groups in Trinidad and Tobago to force socio-political change.-History:Between 1968 and 1970 the...
). - On July 27, 1990, the Jamaat al MuslimeenJamaat al MuslimeenThe Jamaat al Muslimeen is a Muslim organisation within the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago with a membership of predominantly Afro-Trinidadians....
, an islamist group with ties to LibyaLibyaLibya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
, attempted a coup d'étatCoup d'étatA coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
. They seized control of the Red House (the seat of the Parliament of Trinidad and TobagoParliament of Trinidad and TobagoThe Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago is the legislative branch of the Government of Trinidad and Tobago. The Parliament is bicameral. It consists of the elected House of Representatives, which has 43 members elected for a five year term in single-seat constituencies, and the Senate which has 31...
) and held the Prime Minister and much of his Cabinet hostage. The Regiment surrounded the insurgents and were able to force them to surrender on August 1.
- See: Jamaat al Muslimeen coup attemptJamaat al Muslimeen coup attemptOn Friday 27 July 1990, 114 members of the Jamaat al Muslimeen, an Afro-Trinidadian Islamic organisation, led by Imam Yasin Abu Bakr and Bilaal Abdullah attempted to stage a coup d'état against the government of Trinidad and Tobago. Forty-two insurgents stormed the Red House and took the Prime...
International missions
- 1983 to 1984 - Trinidad and Tobago contributed troops to the peacekeeping mission after the United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
' invasion of GrenadaGrenadaGrenada is an island country and Commonwealth Realm consisting of the island of Grenada and six smaller islands at the southern end of the Grenadines in the southeastern Caribbean Sea...
(Operation Urgent FuryInvasion of GrenadaThe Invasion of Grenada, codenamed Operation Urgent Fury, was a 1983 United States-led invasion of Grenada, a Caribbean island nation with a population of about 100,000 located north of Venezuela. Triggered by a military coup which had ousted a four-year revolutionary government, the invasion...
). The Trinidad and Tobago Government opposed the military intervention by the United States and did not participate in the invasion. However T&T deployed troops to assist in peacekeeping after the combat mission was completed . - 1993 to 1996 - The Trinidad and Tobago Regiment contributed troops to the United NationsUnited NationsThe United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
Peacekeeping Mission in HaitiHaitiHaiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
(UNMIHUnited Nations Mission in HaitiFor the current UN mission to Haiti, see the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti.The United Nations Mission in Haiti — a peacekeeping operation carried out by the United Nations between September 1993 and June 1996. The Mission was reestablished in April 2004, after a rebellion took...
) as part of a CARICOM contingent . - 2004 to 2005 - After the mass destruction dealt to Grenada by Hurricane IvanHurricane IvanHurricane Ivan was a large, long-lived, Cape Verde-type hurricane that caused widespread damage in the Caribbean and United States. The cyclone was the ninth named storm, the sixth hurricane and the fourth major hurricane of the active 2004 Atlantic hurricane season...
, the Regiment was sent immediately after to help assist the Grenadian government in security, aid distribution and rebuilding of the country.
Other incidents
- On 26 April, 1988 - A bush fire near Camp Omega, a military compound in Chaguaramas which was used for ammunition storage and infantry training, killed two soldiers and four firefighters when the fire spread to one of the buildings housing the ammunition .
Organisation
Although it is called the Trinidad & Tobago Regiment, the TTR is in fact structured more like a light infantry brigade, with a pair of infantry battalions, plus engineering and logistic support units:- 1st Battalion: This is a regular infantry battalion. It is located at Camp Ogden, Long Circular Road, St JamesSaint James, Trinidad and TobagoSt. James is a suburb of Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. It is known as "the city that never sleeps" because of 24 hour activities there. The main road is the Western Main Road. It runs from Woodbrook to Cocorite...
. - 2nd Battalion: This a regular infantry battalion. Formerly located at Camp Mausica, since then it has been relocated to the Chaguaramas Heliport and is due to be relocated to a new camp in La RomaineLa RomaineLa Romaine can refer to:* La Romaine, Trinidad and Tobago* La Romaine, Quebec...
, Trinidad and Tobago. - 3rd Battalion: This provides engineering support. It is located at Cumuto Barracks, WallerfieldWallerfieldWallerfield is an area in Trinidad and Tobago. Located south of Arima and north of Cumuto, it served Waller Air Force Base. Since the clousure of US Army base in May 1949, it became the informal home of various types of racing for over 40 years...
. - Support and Services Battalion: This provides logistic and administrative support to the Regiment. It is located at Teteron Barracks, Teteron Bay, Chaguaramas.
The Regiment also maintains a base at Camp Omega, also at Chaguaramas, which is used primarily for specialised training.
Infantry weapons
- Browning Hi-PowerBrowning Hi-PowerThe Browning Hi-Power is a single-action, 9 mm semi-automatic handgun. It is based on a design by American firearms inventor John Browning, and completed by Dieudonné Saive at Fabrique Nationale of Herstal, Belgium. Browning died in 1926, several years before the design was finalized...
Belgium - Heckler and Koch USP 9mm handgun (75x)
Germany - S&W M&P9 (1,500x)
- S&W .38 caliber revolver
- IMI Uzi
Israel - FN P90FN P90The FN P90 is a selective fire personal defense weapon designed and manufactured by FN Herstal in Belgium. The P90's name is taken from 1990, the year it was introduced...
Belgium - H&K MP5 Germany
- Sterling L2A3Sterling submachine gunThe Sterling submachine gun is a British submachine gun which was in service with the British Army from 1944 until 1994, when it was phased out with the introduction of the L85A1 assault rifle.-History:...
(178x) - M16M16 rifleThe M16 is the United States military designation for the AR-15 rifle adapted for both semi-automatic and full-automatic fire. Colt purchased the rights to the AR-15 from ArmaLite, and currently uses that designation only for semi-automatic versions of the rifle. The M16 fires the 5.56×45mm NATO...
(100x) - IMI Galil AR (1500x) Israel
- FN FALFN FALThe Fusil Automatique Léger or FAL is a self-loading, selective fire battle rifle produced by the Belgian armaments manufacturer Fabrique Nationale de Herstal . During the Cold War it was adopted by many North Atlantic Treaty Organization countries, with the notable exception of the United States...
50.00 Belgium - L1A1 SLR
- IMI NegevIMI NegevThe Negev is an Israeli 5.56 mm light machine gun, developed by Israel Military Industries Ltd. of Ramat HaSharon , as a replacement for the 5.56 mm Galil ARM light machine gun, whose barrel would overheat easily during sustained fire...
Israel - FN MAGFN MAGThe FN MAG is a Belgian 7.62 mm general-purpose machine gun, designed in the early 1950s at Fabrique Nationale by Ernest Vervier. It has been used by more than 80 countries, and it has been made under licence in countries such as Argentina, Egypt, India, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the...
60.20/L7A1 Belgium/ - Bren
- Saco M60 machine gunM60 machine gunThe M60 is a family of American general-purpose machine guns firing 7.62×51mm NATO cartridges from a disintegrating belt of M13 links...
- Browning M2HB
- IMI B-300B-300The B-300 is a reuseable man-portable anti-tank weapon system developed by Israeli Military Industries in the late 1970s for use by the Israel Defence Force. The B-300 can be carried and operated by a single operator and is effective to approximately 400 meters...
82mm anti-tank rocket launchers (13x) Israel - Carl Gustav M2Carl Gustav recoilless rifleThe Carl Gustav is the common name for the 84 mm man-portable reusable multi-role recoilless rifle produced by Saab Bofors Dynamics in Sweden...
84mm recoilless rifles (24x)
Sweden - L16A1 81mm medium mortarL16 81mm MortarThe United Kingdom's L16 81 mm mortar is the standard mortar used by the British armed forces. It originated as a joint design by UK and Canada. The version produced and used by Australia is named the F2 81mm Mortar, whilst the version used by the U.S...
(6x) - Brandt 60 mm LR Gun-mortar
Early Modern France - Land Rover Defender
- Land Rover Defender with Armored-Kit
- M35A1 trucks
Navy
- Offshore patrol vessels (3x)
- Patrol craft (6x)
- Fast Patrol boats (3x)
- Interceptor boats (6x)
Fixed Wing Aircraft
- Fairchild C-26 Metroliner (2x)
- Piper PA-31 NavajoPiper PA-31 NavajoThe Piper PA-31 Navajo is a family of cabin-class, twin-engine aircraft designed and built by Piper Aircraft for the general aviation market, most using Lycoming engines. It was also licence-built in a number of Latin American countries. Targeted at small-scale cargo and feeder liner operations and...
(2x) - Cessna 310Cessna 310The Cessna 310 is an American six-seat, low-wing, twin-engined monoplane that was produced by Cessna between 1954 and 1980. It was the first twin-engined aircraft that Cessna put into production after World War II.-Development:...
R (1x) - Cessna 172Cessna 172The Cessna 172 Skyhawk is a four-seat, single-engine, high-wing fixed-wing aircraft. First flown in 1955 and still in production, more Cessna 172s have been built than any other aircraft.-Design and development:...
M Skyhawk (1x) - Cessna 337A Super-SkymasterCessna SkymasterThe Cessna Skymaster is a United States twin-engine civil utility aircraft built in a push-pull configuration. Its engines are mounted in the nose and rear of its pod-style fuselage. Twin booms extend aft of the wings to the vertical stabilizers, with the rear engine between them. The horizontal...
(1x) - Cessna 402Cessna 402The Cessna 401 and 402 are series of 6 to 10 place, light twin, piston engine aircraft. This line was manufactured by Cessna from 1966 to 1985 under the name Utiliner and Businessliner...
Utililiner (1x)
Helicopters
- AgustaWestland AW139AgustaWestland AW139The AgustaWestland AW139 is a 15-seat medium sized twin-engined helicopter manufactured by AgustaWestland. Originally designed and developed jointly by Agusta and Bell Helicopters and marketed as the Agusta-Bell AB139, it was redesignated the AW139 when Bell withdrew from the project...
(4x)
Italy - Sikorsky S-76A SpiritSikorsky S-76The Sikorsky S-76 is an American medium-size commercial utility helicopter. The S-76 is powered by two turboshaft engines, which drive both the main and tail rotors, each with four blades...
(4x) - MBB Bo 105CBS (4x) Germany
- Aérospatiale GazelleAérospatiale GazelleThe Aérospatiale Gazelle is a five-seat light helicopter, powered by a single turbine engine. It was designed and manufactured in France by Sud Aviation . It was also manufactured under licence by Westland Aircraft in the United Kingdom , by SOKO in Yugoslavia and ABHCO in Egypt...
(3x) Early Modern France
- SA-341G (1x)
- SA-341H (2x)
- Eurocopter AS355Eurocopter AS355The Eurocopter AS355 Ecureuil 2 is a twin-engine light helicopter originally manufactured by Aérospatiale...
(1x) Early Modern France
External links
- Trinidad and Tobago Regiment - Official Website