Time to clean out the war bunkers

TERRENCE HONORE

I HAVE recently resorted to a prayer here and there regarding the Ukraine/Russian conflict. After all, it seems so far removed from our idyllic shores. Our paradise seems still secure and protected. But we have had to think again, not just about the sad atrocities one would expect as a consequence of war, but just how far the sparks of war can fly.

As a post-colonised people, we have shifted from the quasi-freedom of independence to republicanism and jumped into the big pond to fend for ourselves in a world full of wars. So there must be alertness to the fact that the conflict can affect us economically or even strategically in the “minefields” of the geopolitical world.

As wars and rumours of wars continue to be an ever-present threat to our stability and comfort, we must not be indifferent to the realities of mounting conflicts – latent, perceived or real – across the globe. Our alertness must be reflected in the way we handle the upkeep of our military system, how we “man our defences.”

So, we must go back to the drawing board and review where we are as a nation in terms of military readiness. Are we prepared to protect our patch of paradise? Like a pompek barking at a pit bull, it seems a mismatch against the mighty nations, but we must still resort to “showing our teeth” to hold on to the cherished space we call our own.

Now is a good time to consider the state of our national defences. The ongoing Ukraine /Russian conflict has brought the issue of national security full and centre to our considerations.

Since the days after World War II, we have maintained our residential regiment in the “hole” in Chaguaramas. The battalion deserves a whole lot more than what it has been given and that includes the need for an updated, modernised military system.

The once intact US military base of operations was partly built by Trini hands under the guidance of the US engineers. Back then working on the base provided much needed income for skilled and unskilled workers from Trinidad and a few of the other Caribbean islands. It was also a sweet treasure trove for the “Jean and Dinah ladies” immortalised in the famous calypso sung by the Mighty Sparrow. But they would all be shocked to know that we let so much of their efforts go to ruin. We seem to be feteing while our defences are declining.

I am not warmongering or anticipating conflict, but it is the undeniable responsibility of every country to maintain a standing army or defence force, as in our case. But the need to address the system of military defence of the island continues to miss the headlines and seems absent from the minds and the manifestos of our political parties.

“Let the jungle take it over” seems to have been the position taken by many, while the corruption-laden gains continued to shift hands over the years. Our annual budget for military funding misses the need to modernise our national defence system. We have been putting second-hand resources where First-World infrastructure and systems are needed.

Meanwhile, our men and women dress up in smart uniforms, parading once or twice a year to the strains of music. The sounds of the national anthem fade into the nearby hills as we stand to rue the fact that we have not maintained or improved what was inherited from the US forces. We have to go beyond the pomp and ceremony of our celebrations to recognise the historic significance and the military importance of the abandoned bases of World War II.

I say it’s fitting time to “bring back” the bases at Wallerfield or Carlsen Field and the various installations in La Brea, Pointe-a-Pierre and elsewhere. We must review the once well-laid network of military operations, even to protect ourselves from ourselves, and the don’t-care-a-damn attitude that has left most of the system in ruins.

In the words of the much loved song by Marjorie Padmore, “We must take pride in our liberty.” We may not have fought for our freedom by military action, but we must do our best to preserve and improve what we’ve got – by any means necessary.

Let’s clean out the bunkers, make them tourist destinations if we must, or even just a history project for a university class, but we are compelled to continue restoring and upgrading our military system to the highest standard for the safety and security of our beautiful nation.