For years, there have been promises, plans to upgrade the living and working conditions of our Belize Defense Force soldiers. But tonight, frustration is boiling over. A member of the B.D.F. has taken to social media, sharing a raw and emotional post about the deplorable conditions soldiers are still enduring. In the post, they describe cold nights in makeshift shelters and even sleeping soaked when rain seeps through the roof and walls. The soldier is now calling on the Minister of Defense to urgently investigate. In response, Brigadier General Azariel Loria, Commander of the B.D.F., has provided an update on the improvements that are in the pipeline.
Brigadier General Azariel Loria, Commander, B.D.F.
“Our installations. It’s no secret and I can’t say I’m not tired of saying that those were dilapidated. And the Ministry of Defense came up with intend to refurbish the basis, the military basis. There are not much, about four or five of them, of which the media knows that we have been doing. We have refurbished. We’re in the process of getting for weather camp refurbished at Price Barracks. I believe that we have the barrack rooms. Brand new barrack rooms to withstand a category five hurricane. The brand new dining facility. The at the moment we are paving the parade square is not fully done yet, still in the process, but we’re trying to catch up. The forest has been in existence for more than forty, over forty years. And we are still trying to catch up because we have failed to maintain our bases. So that is what we’re doing now, and we are trying to, to rebuild permanent infrastructure or infrastructure that will that will be easily maintained. And we’re getting rid of the, these in huts. Everything that has to do with zinc. We don’t want to build our soldiers in such places especially when it comes to June, to November, December. We kinda languish, but with such development, I believe that will be no more. We will be in a better position to house our soldiers and look after their welfare.”
