The successful candidates for the six junior officer posts for the new Cayman Regiment will receive officer training at the Royal Military Academy in the UK. Once the officer posts have been filled, 50 reserve volunteers will be recruited but this number will eventually rise to 150, the release stated.

The formation of the Cayman Regiment was announced in October, though it is said to have been in discussions since early 2019. Its purpose will be to improve security and to provide humanitarian aid and relief support following disasters here in Cayman and in the region.

A spokesperson for the Governor’s Office said the National Security Council had given the green light to form an initial force of seven officers and 50 reserve volunteers, who will be put through initial training and equipped before summer 2020 in tie for the peak Hurricane Season.

All candidates for officer positions must be legally resident in Cayman and be a British Overseas Territories Citizen, British Citizen or Irish Citizen, though other Commonwealth applicants may be considered on a case by case basis, the release stated. They must also pass medical and fitness tests.

Describing the hunt for a suitable commanding officer, Governor Martyn Roper said, “We’re now looking for a dynamic leader with UK military experience to take this exciting project forward. They will need to have a wide variety of skills, including project management, and will need to be adaptable, resilient and able to deal with the day-to-day challenges a programme like this will inevitably have.”

The role of commanding officer will be part-time with a per diem allowance. However, Roper said there would be “opportunities to refresh, re-hone and improve existing skills and talents with further training with some of the best military teams in the world”.

The candidate must be between 23 and 50, have at least five years experience as an officer in the British Armed Forces as well as a bachelor’s degree, and must be able to start work immediately.

The governor said they would like to employ the six junior officers on one-year, full-time, fixed-term contracts, during which they “will receive basic training overseas and will also attend officer training at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, in the UK”.

But after that they “might become part-time reservists to enable them to continue their civilian careers, although there will also be some full-time positions created in future”.

The junior officers will help the commanding officer set up the regiment and recruit the first 50 reservists. Eventually this number will rise to 150, Roper noted.

Junior officers must be available to start in February 2020. Candidates must be aged between 18 and 50, and have two A levels at Grade C or above, two years study at UCCI or equivalent level of education. No minimum experience required but previous service in the Cayman Islands Cadet Corps or other military experience is preferred.

The requirements for candidates draw on policy from UK Reserve Regiments, the release said.