There has been a changing of the guard for next Wednesday’s National Independence Parade at the Garrison.
That’s because commanding officer of the Coast Guard, Commander Sean Reece, who was originally selected to oversee more than 800 soldiers, reserves, police force, prison officers and fire service officials, has been sent on leave following an alleged personal infraction, says a highly placed military source.
The new parade commander is 48-year-old commanding officer of the Barbados Regiment, Lieutenant-Colonel Ricardo Vickers, an army officer for the last three decades.
Vickers has seen action in Grenada in 1983 and Trinidad &?Tobago in 1990. Trained at the Canadian Forces Combat Training Centre, the former Combermere schoolboy, enlisted in the Barbados Defence Force in 1981.
Last night at the Garrison, the bespectacled Vickers conducted rehearsals for the parade under the supervision of Chief of Staff Alvin Quintyne and second in command, Lieutenant-Colonel Atheline Branch.
Quintyne gave the rehearsals eight on a scale of ten.
“It will be a beautiful sight on Wednesday. There are still a few minor things that need to be tweaked but we are on track,” he said.
The parade featured the precision marches of the soldiers, coast guard, reserves, the Defence Force Sports Programme, three Cadet Corps groups, Fire Service, prison officers, Barbados Red Cross, Pathfinders, Boy Scouts, Landship, Youth Service, St John Ambulance Brigade and Government security guards.
