Chief of Defence Staff (Trinidad and Tobago) explained

The Chief of Defence Staff is the professional head of the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force. He is responsible for the administration and the operational control of the military. The current chief is Air Vice Marshall Darryl Daniel who was appointed on 25 March 2019, Air Commodore and promoted to Air Vice Marshall effective November 01,2020 . Unlike other Caribbean nations, the chief is not called the more common "Chief of Staff". This is due to the strong ties Trinidad and Tobago had to the British equivalent during the establishment of the TTDF.

List of officeholders

	Portrait	Name	Term of office			Defence branch
			Took office	Left office	Time in office
1		Lt. Col. Pearce Gould	1 June 1962	1964	years	Army	[1]
2		Col. Joffre Serrette	1964	February 1968	years	Army	[2] [3]
3		Stanley Johnson	February 1968	1970	years
(2)		Brigadier Joffre Serrette	1970	1978	years	Army
4		Commodore Mervyn O. Williams	1976?	1979	years	Navy
		Brigadier Joseph Theodore	1990	1991	years	Army	[4]
		Brigadier Ralph Brown	1991	1994	years	Army
		Brigadier Carlton Alfred Alfonso	1994	1999	years	Army	[5]
		Commodore Anthony S Franklin	1999	2000	years	Navy
		John CE Sandy	2000	2002	years
		Brigadier Ancil Antoine	26 January 2002	2006	years	Army	[6]
		Major general Edmund Dillon	2006	6 November 2011	years	Army	[7]
		Brigadier Roland Maundy	6 November 2011	2012	years	Army	[8] [9]
		Major general Kenrick Maharaj	2011	2011	years	Army	[10]
			2011	2015	years
		Major general Rodney Smart	2015	9 August 2017	years	Army	[11]
		Rear admiral Hayden Pritchard	9 August 2017	25 March 2019	years	Navy
		Air Commodore Darryl Daniel	25 March 2019	Incumbent		Air force

References

• Phillips . Dion . The Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force: Origin, Structure, Training, Security and Other Roles . Caribbean Quarterly . September 1997 . 43 . 3 . 13–33 . Taylor & Francis, Ltd.. 10.1080/00086495.1997.11672099 .

Notes and References

1. Web site: History . 14 January 2021.
2. Book: The East Indian Problem in Trinidad and Tobago 1953-1962 Terror and Race War . 9781440159961. Figueira. Daurius. July 2009.
3. Book: The Quest for Security in the Caribbean: Problems and Promises in . 107 . 9781317454977 . Griffith . Ivelaw L. . 11 June 2015 .
4. Web site: Passing of Brigadier General (Ret'd) Joseph Theodore . 14 January 2021.
5. Web site: Senator the Honourable Brig. Gen. Carlton Alfonso . 13 January 2021.
6. Web site: Brigadier Ancil Antoine . 14 February 2021.
7. News: Kowlessar . Geisha . Dillon says farewell to the Force . 14 February 2021 . guardian.co.tt.
8. News: Minister Griffith Issues Condolences on the Death of Brigadier General Roland Garth Maunday . 14 February 2021.
9. News: Maundy passes the baton . 14 February 2021.
10. Web site: Maharaj now Brigadier General . 14 January 2021.
11. Web site: New Chief of Defence Staff replaces Major General Rodney Smart . 13 January 2021.