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36 recruits passed out - that's almost half of the Coast Guard's personnel and Monica Bodden was there:..

Monica Bodden reporting
After a 3 month recruit training - 36 newcomers were welcomed into the Belize Coast Guard this morning.

Graduation ceremonies were held at the Williamson Complex in Ladyville -for the 33 men and 3 women in recruit intake number 3.

They were all proud graduates ready to come on board the hundred and 52 man strong organization.

Commander Elton Benett - Acting Commandant, Belize Coast Guard
"The recruits underwent various training; Maritime Law Enforcement, they were train in drill as you can see in the display and a lot of team work were involve, bringing them up to standard to join the ranks of the Belize Coast Guard. The training was partly land-based. Breaking into military life is very similar to what the Belize Defence Force goes through thereafter they do a maritime phase, that maritime phase they do a final exercise out at Calabsh Caye where the recruits completely took command of the operating base and were able to be effective. They carried out a search and rescue case and they also had a violation seizure."

Monica Bodden
"How many recruits were awarded?"

Commander Elton Benett
"Today we awarded 4 recruits. Throughout the recruit training the instructors look at skill levels. They identify the champion recruit who is overall the best recruit. We had the best swimmer who more than likely will join the Coast Guard Rescue and Dive team. We also had the best female from across the intake. We had a physical training."

Glen Noh was one of the 4 who were awarded at this morning's ceremony. The 24 year old is from the Corozal District - specifically Xaibe Village.

He was honored with the Champion recruit award -the highest award received.

Glen Noh - Recruit
"I was awarded the champion recruit."

Monica Bodden
"To get a title as such - the highest award. What kind of work you had to put into it?"

Glen Noh - Recruit
"It took sleepless nights, dedication, hard work & mental effort. I say mental effort because I can safely say a mind game because sometimes whenever you feel pain you want to stop but as my CEO says 'pain is only weakness leaving the body' so we just carried on."

Monica Bodden
"What was the most difficult part of this whole 3 months for you?"

Glen Noh - Recruit
"I would say adaptation to a new environment. I was not use to this. I was not use to study and taking exams without sleeping. I had to adapt to it. I had to take my exams without sleeping, it was a mental stress."

Melissa Jones - Recruit
"I was awarded the best female during the recruit training. The training was very difficult from a female perspective. All you have to do is keep on challenging yourself in every activity you have to do."

Monica Bodden
"What was the most challenging part for you?"

Melissa Jones - Recruit
"The most challenging part for me was basically the swimming part."

Roy Flowers - Recruit
"I was awarded for the champion swimmer and I work hard towards that. I am always pushing myself to that extent to gain something in this intake number 3 training."

Monica Bodden
"What it a lot of hard work?"

Roy Flowers - Recruit
"Of course it was, very hard work, sometimes we don't get any rest."

Monica Bodden
"The training was intense?"

And the recruits demonstrated 2 techniques in front of a crowd of spectators A log exercise which demonstrated teamwork and a foot and arm drill display.

Commander Elton Benett
"The first display was a log exercise; you may want to know why they are doing a log exercise but if you notice there is a lot of team work involved, it's forming the basics for team work - how well they can coordinate and work and doing it without having to speak. So that's a team work base exercise. The other was a drill display where the recruits demonstrated the level of foot and arms drill that they learnt throughout the recruit training."

The coast Guard was founded in 2005.