Antigua and Barbuda Regiment

Antigua and Barbuda Regiment
Active	1995-
Country	Antigua and Barbuda
Branch	Antigua and Barbuda Defence Force
Type	Infantry
Role	Marine infantry
Size	One battalion
Part of	Antigua and Barbuda Defence Force
Garrison/HQ	Parham
Engagements	United States invasion of Grenada
Commanders
Colonel in Chief	The King

The Antigua and Barbuda Regiment is the infantry unit and main fighting arm of the Antigua and Barbuda Defence Force. Previously known as the Rifle Company, it was formed in 1995 and consists of a single light infantry battalion, commanded by a Lieutenant Colonel and made up of four companies:

• Headquarters (HQ) Company
• A Company: Regular infantry
• B Company: Volunteers
• C Company: Combat Support

The regiment main weapons include M-16 rifles and M60 machine guns.

The regiment has a number of roles - primarily it is responsible for maintaining the internal security of Antigua and Barbuda, which is linked to providing assistance to the police in maintaining law and order. However, it is also responsible for providing the Antiguan contingent to peacekeeping missions overseas, often in conjunction with other countries in the Eastern Caribbean. In its previous incarnation as the Rifle Company, the regiment participated in the invasion of Grenada alongside the Barbados Regiment and Jamaica Regiment in 1983.

In December 2004, Baldwin Spencer, the Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, announced that, as part of the reforms to the ABDF, the 1st Battalion, Antigua and Barbuda Regiment would convert from its current light infantry role into a marine role, enabling it to better support and serve the ABDF Coast Guard in its anti-drug and maritime security missions.^[1]

References

This page was last edited on 26 April 2024, at 09:59