Antigua_and_Barbuda_Regiment
Antigua and Barbuda Regiment
Military unit
The Antigua and Barbuda Regiment is the infantry unit and main fighting arm of the Antigua and Barbuda Defence Force. Previously known as the Rifle Company, it was formed in 1995 and consists of a single light infantry battalion, commanded by a Lieutenant Colonel and made up of four companies:
- Headquarters (HQ) Company
- A Company: Regular infantry
- B Company: Volunteers
- C Company: Combat Support
The regiment main weapons include M-16 rifles and M60 machine guns.
The regiment has a number of roles - primarily it is responsible for maintaining the internal security of Antigua and Barbuda, which is linked to providing assistance to the police in maintaining law and order. However, it is also responsible for providing the Antiguan contingent to peacekeeping missions overseas, often in conjunction with other countries in the Eastern Caribbean. In its previous incarnation as the Rifle Company, the regiment participated in the invasion of Grenada alongside the Barbados Regiment and Jamaica Regiment in 1983.
In December 2004, Baldwin Spencer, the Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, announced that, as part of the reforms to the ABDF, the 1st Battalion, Antigua and Barbuda Regiment would convert from its current light infantry role into a marine role, enabling it to better support and serve the ABDF Coast Guard in its anti-drug and maritime security missions.[1]