A retired colonel of the Jamaica Defence Force has raised the issue of non-Jamaica-born persons being excluded from holding the top post in the army, based on a policy decision which he said was made by the Defence Board in the 1970s.

At least, I now have a reason (however, illogical) why the recently departed Colonel Ken Barnes, an eminently qualified and distinguished officer who became a colonel in the army at the young age of 38, did not make that quantum leap.

However, I am still searching for a reason (a logical one) why there is that requirement to become chief-of-staff, since a non-Jamaican born citizen is not precluded from being, say, minister of national security (e.g. Dudley Thompson) or Prime Minister (e.g. Edward Seaga).

I am, etc,

OSWALD TIE

bunnyt@cwjamaica.com