Two BDF soldiers are currently in Haiti as the rest of the Belizean contingent remains here awaiting deployment. While there were reports that they would have been deployed to Haiti next month, the Brigadier General clarified that there's no set date as yet.
But ahead of the deployment, the soldiers are concerned about their proposed per diem. However, General Loria wasn't having it, saying that he's been deployed with only $5US to live on in the past.
Brig. Gen. Azariel Loria, Commander, BDF
"The two of them were deployed, we called them a mini advance party, just two officers and they're currently serving as staff officers in the CARICOM joint task force. It's a headquarters that is led by Jamaica. There are some countries that said they will be sending their troops like Bahamas, I think Barbados under the RSS is coordinating something to that effect. So we have two and they are feeding us information on what is going on on the ground and based on that and if we manage to get our kit and equipment, because we're still procuring kit and equipment, we will deploy until the conditions are favorable to do so and that is a signal that I will need to provide to the Ministry of National Defense, the minister will then tell Cabinet that yes we're ready and we deploy. But we have to ensure that we are fully kitted, we understand what the situation is on the ground, we have our caveats on what we can do, what types of operations they will be conducting on the ground, etc."
Courtney Menzies:
"We also received reports or complaints of the propose allowance for these soldiers being deployed, I think it was $100 for hardship and $500 for risk per soldier and they're saying that's not enough."
Brig. Gen. Azariel Loria, Commander, BDF
"The allowances for the Haiti deployment? Let me tell you an anecdote, using me as an example, I really don't want to do it but I'll tell you and it's a bunch of us, it's a platoon of us that deployed back in '94. And then we had rotations. All that we were provided in terms of allowance per diem was $5 a day, 5 US dollars a day to deploy in hostile situations, and we deployed under chapter 7 of the UN operations we were allowed to use our weapons, deadly force as the case would be. $5. We did it, I did it because I wanted the experience, the soldiers wanted the experience and we did it from the heart, from the willingness to serve, going there to Haiti and trying to make a difference. Now the allowances that they will be provided, the soldiers, the 30 or so soldiers that are going to be deployed, they are going to get 50 US dollars a day plus the allowances, 50 US dollars a day plus what you have mentioned about the risk and hardship allowance in addition to the 50 so you could do the math."
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