He's had a stellar career in the military for almost four decades and on Friday Jules Vasquez went to his office in Belmopan to ask him to reflect on it:

John Borland, Rear Admiral - Chief of Defence Staff
"It feels wonderful that I've done what I set out to do back in November 1987, when I enlisted in the Belize Defence Force volunteer element, and then I transitioned to the regular force in 1990, and I served there up until 2005 when I transitioned to the Coast Guard. The brand new newly minted East Coast Guard was inaugurated in November 2005, 28th November. So yesterday was 19 years of the Coast Guard's existence. I was done in Big Creek celebrating that momentous occasion with them."

Jules Vasquez
"What were your feelings as you reflected on the growth of the Coast Guard? That being the last station of the national infrastructure?"

John Borland, Rear Admiral - Chief of Defence Staff
"You know, you're right. I like the way you put it. That was the last piece of infrastructure in the strategy for development that I had written. And it was a great sense of accomplishment and of achievement."

"As you know, the Coast Guard has been the leading apex institution, an elite institution. And so, yeah, I'm extremely proud of what I did when I was there. And if what is still happening there under the leadership of Admiral Bennett."

Jules Vasquez
"When you look back, you've also had trying times, obviously, you need the various arms of the security sector and it's not easy."

"What do you reflect on as regrets or particularly trying? What do you reflect on as the most arduous or trying, or things that you wish you had a chance to do again?"

John Borland, Rear Admiral - Chief of Defence Staff
"You know, that's a great question. There are many things. There were challenges all along the way. There were good times, there were bad times. Ups and downs. But in the end, we were always able to triumph and to overcome. There is always the question of resources, you know. Had I had more, I could have done more. But, you know, life is real and these are trying times and we all must make sacrifices in dealing with the challenges we face. Like I said, in competing for scarce resources, defense is just one of the missions of of of bigger government. There are other priorities that have to be taken care of that have to be met."

"So, yeah, there are times I wish I had more men. I wish I had more equipment. I wish I had more boats. I wish I had more arms and ammunition. And, you know, but I don't think there is a commander in charge of any force who doesn't face those same challenges."

Jules Vasquez
"As you reflect on it, what do you think are the greatest challenges, first for the Coast Guard going forward?"

John Borland, Rear Admiral - Chief of Defence Staff
"Well, the challenge of countering transnational organized crime will always be there. The cartels and the drug runners possess large resources, assets much more than we can can gather, and so we will never match them when it comes to budgets. So we have to match them by using innovation, technology and careful strategizing and planning. If we notice the Coast Guard recently acquired a number of drones and those are assets that are going to give them much greater reach in surveillance and targeting and monitoring of their maritime spaces. We're also looking into acquiring rotary wing assets. We had a program that has gone dead in the water."

Jules Vasquez
"What will you do next?"

John Borland, Rear Admiral - Chief of Defence Staff "There's a lot on the horizon. I am not done yet in a month or a few months. We can have another interview as I transition to what I am going to do next. But for now, I'm holding it close. One of the best decisions or perhaps the best decision ever made was to enlist in the BDF."

"The journey has been long. It hasn't always been smooth sailing. There are ups and downs. But you know what? Hey, rough seas makes good sailors. And so I would advise any young man, a young woman out there who's thinking of it, jumping with both feet. You'll never regret it."

"Yeah, I started out as Johnny Borland in 1987. Now they call me Admiral Borland, two stars on my shoulder. But you know what? When I take this uniform off, I am still John Borland, the same John Borland from Forest Home Toledo."