Over the past year, teams from various subsections of the Headquarters and Training Departments in the Royal Bahamas Defence Force ran an aggressive Family Island recruitment drive. Teams from the recruitment office, Training Department and Public Relations visited numerous Family Islands such as Grand Bahama, Eleuthera, Andros, Cat Island, and Long Island. Applicants residing on the mentioned Islands were given the opportunity to sit the Royal BahamasDefence Force entrance examinations.

This initiative gave eligible family Island residents an opportunity to meet one of the prerequisites to enlist into the Royal Bahamas Defence and was considered an overall success. It is the intent of the command to make every effort to ensure the entire Commonwealth of the Bahamas is given an opportunity to join this prestigious organization.

Prior to joining, all applicants must fulfill the following general requirements:

• Be a Bahamian citizen. Be declared medically fit.
• Be without a criminal record.
• Security vetting from the Defence Force Intelligence Branch.
• Tested negative in urinalysis sensitivity scan for drugs.

MARINES

• Be 18 – 25 years old.
• Hold a minimum of five (5) B.J.C.’s (including Mathematics and English).
• Obtain at least fifty percent (50%) in Defence Force New Entry exam.
• Pass the Defence Force fitness test. "Normal" result from a Psychometric Evaluation.
• Be recommended by an interview board.

OFFICERS

• Be 18 – 26 years old.
• Possess a minimum of five BGCSE/GCE ‘O’Levels at Grade “C” or above (including Mathematics and English) or equivalent qualifications, i.e. Associate of Arts Degree.
• Be interviewed and recommended by an Officer Selection Board.

*Note: Academic qualifications other than BJCs, BGCSEs / GCEs should be fowarded to the Testing and Evaluation Center, Ministry of Education, to determine the rating.

MEETING ENTRANCE CRITERIA

Applicants who have met the above requirements should prepare themselves for the following areas:

WRITTEN EXAMS: Mathematics, English Language and General Knowledge.

FITNESS TEST: Push-ups, sit-ups, 1.5 mile run, pull-ups, squats, broad jumps etc. Though it is only a measure of current physical fitness level, applicants are to be reasonably fit prior to taking the test.

SWIM: This consists of a 300-yard swim, treading water for three minutes, and diving to a depth of 10-12 feet. Though it is not mandatory that applicants be able to swim on applying, he/she must be able to meet the swimming standards prior to completing the 16-week New Entry Training Programme.

INTERVIEW: The applicant will be interviewed by an Interview Board, which will make an assessment based on criteria such as intelligence, general knowledge, interests, etc. Interviewees can expect to be quizzed on the following:

Details of the Defence Force:- (information leaflets) particular attention should be paid to the roles, departments and requirements for entry.

Why he/she is interested in joining the Defence Force and which department he/she is interested in.

If there are plans for furthering education, how she/he tends to pursue such goals.

Current local and international events (political, economic, social, religious, etc.).

Personal background and history.

Involvement/association with special interest groups, etc.

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