THE Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force (TTDF) was established in 1962 with specific duties, the key ones being:

1. To defend the sovereign good of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago 2. To cooperate with and assist the civil power in maintaining law and order 3. To assist the civil authorities in times of crisis and disaster

4. Assist in the prevention of trafficking narcotics and other illegal goods

Despite having a TTDF for the past 61 years, it is easier for illegal migrants to enter T&T with absolutely no resistance whatsoever, than it is for born citizens of T&T to be able to legally travel between Trinidad and Tobago. With a murder toll of over 400, and daily home invasions and robberies, I think we can all admit that both the T&T civil powers and TTDF have failed miserably at maintaining law and order. To date we have had very poor responses to normal perennial flooding and the TTDF is almost always absent from these efforts, or fail to engage in timely effective responses, leaving many citizens stranded without assistance.

Our borders are left so exposed that billions of dollars of cocaine, simply washes ashore like a bottle carrying a letter from a lover from a faraway land. Illegal guns are entering our borders with complete ease, whilst adult sex toys and commercial drones legally purchased and declared by law abiding citizens, are being held and seized by Customs.

The simple fact is, for the past 61 years, the TTDF has failed miserably at performing its core duties and one must ask the question, are taxpayers receiving value for money by funding the TTDF? This country spends billions of dollars each year for military personnel who fail miserably at protecting this country’s borders and fail miserably at stopping the flow of illegal immigrants, illegal weapons and narcotics. The TTDF has billions of dollars in equipment that remains parked up all year round.

And regarding defending the sovereign good of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, let us end this farce once and for all! First, no Caricom country has the finances or manpower to launch a successful invasion of T&T, that is a fact! The only neighbouring country which can carry out a successful invasion of T&T is Venezuela, which has an armed force of approximately 515,000 personnel, over 600 combat tanks and almost 700 armoured vehicles. Venezuela also has 50 naval assets, which include three frigates (sailing warships), four corvettes (small warships) and two submarines. In the air, Venezuela has 280 aircraft including 42 fighter jets! So, the reality for T&T is that the TTDF will not last five minutes against an invasion from Venezuela. And no amount of misguided, nationalistic ‘Trini to de bone’ hubris is going to change that obvious military reality. The only reason T&T has not been invaded by Venezuela, or any other country for that matter, is not because we have the TTDF, its because of our alliance with the United States of America. Plain talk, bad manners. The military reality of T&T is that we are a military ward of Uncle Sam.

That said, the question must then be asked, why have we for the past 61 years, spent billions of dollars to ‘pappyshow’ ourselves, in the belief that our TTDF serves any purpose in defending our sovereignty? And to make this situation even more bizarre, after spending billions of dollars over the past 61 years, the TTDF is an abject failure at performing tasks which it can accomplish, i.e. stemming illegal migration, stemming the flow of illegal guns and narcotics.

With our dwindling resources, it is time T&T wakes up and faces reality. Stop wasting money with ‘pappyshow republicanism’, spending billions on a Defence Force that can in no way protect our sovereignty. The TTPS is overwhelmed with the current crime situation, the Government should therefore restructure the TTDF, by instead creating a civil national guard force to work along aside the TTPS, giving them the same civil powers as the TTPS.

This new national guard force should be used to establish bases at key ports of entry and staffed with officers with civil powers of arrest and detention. Instead of having all the TTDF equipment just sitting there collecting dust, put them to work to address the country’s spiralling crime and infrastructural decay.

The new national civil guard with all the powers of the TTPS, can focus on addressing the illegal immigrant situation, the illegal guns and the gang warfare. They can also set up camps in communities where they can displace the power and influence of the so called ‘community leaders’ and maintain a presence in those areas, running outreach programmes for the at risk youth. This will free up the TTPS to then be able to do more patrols in neighbourhoods and financial centres and allocate resources to dealing with those who are engaging in activities such as robberies and home invasions.

Leave the defence of T&T’s sovereignty to those who have the military power and coordination to do so, i.e. the United States of America. In any event, the last thing Uncle Sam wants in his backyard is another communist socialist island, so trust me, Uncle Sam will use his military to ensure T&T remains a democracy.

So let us stop spending billions of dollars to pappyshow ourselves and instead spend those billions where they will actually make a difference to the lives of the citizens of this country What say you, Dr Rowley?!

Oke Zachary Valsayn