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New Building For Coast Guard
posted (February 6, 2015)
Right now, the Coast Guard Headquarters is getting a 4 million dollar upgrade to ensure that as the numbers of its ranks continue to expand, those new officers can be accommodated.

The Commandant told us that the funding is being provided by the US Government, and when it is completed, it will be able to house 100 new officers who should pass out by the end of the year:

Admiral John Borland - Commandant, Belize Coast Guard
"It's all a part of the Coast Guard strategic development plan. What you see in the perimeter fence back there isn't the entire Coast Guard property. It extends to additional 2 acres almost to where we are standing right now. We are building a facility there that is going to be a multi-purpose facility that is going to house on the deck - it's going to be a maintenance facility/workshop with all the amenities that requires for boat and vehicle maintenance. The upper deck is going to be office spaces/accommodations/stores/lecture rooms/classrooms and medic center. So, much needed space. As it is right now, I am only able to house a very small percentage of my forces and the Coast Guard is rapidly expanding. We have 50 recruits in training and later on down the year, we are going to do another 50, so by the end of the year, we will have an additional hundred to take our strength to 325. And I certainly can't accommodate the percentage of my force that I needed in that one single building including also the 3 forward operating bases we have running at the moment."

Daniel Ortiz
"What is the funding being made available for this? Where does it come from and what is the amount you are able to divulged?"

Admiral John Borland - Commandant, Belize Coast Guard
"These are what we called capitol 3 projects, where the government of Belize in partnership with foreign entities. In this case US Government, Southern Command in particular, is funding this project and the cap of this project is 2 million US dollars."

It is expected that by the end of the year, the Coast Guard will have grown to 325 officers on duty.

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