National

Defence Force D.A.R.T. Team Docks in Jamaica for Two Week Relief Mission

NASSAU, BAHAMAS – The Royal Bahamas Defence Force vessel with members of its Disaster Assistance Response Team and hurricane relief supplies has docked in Port Falmouth, Jamaica.

Published

3 months ago

November 25, 2025

Joshua Williams

NASSAU, BAHAMAS – The Royal Bahamas Defence Force sent members of its Disaster Assistance Response Team and a ship filled with hurricane relief supplies to Jamaica. That ship has arrived in Jamaica, where it docked in Port Falmouth.

Our Caribbean neighbors in Jamaica are getting much-needed assistance from the Royal Bahamas Defence Force.

In October 2025, the island nation was slammed by Hurricane Melissa. The powerful Category 5 storm brought record-breaking winds and rain, leveling buildings, snapping power lines, and killing 45 people. The devastation left many without access to clean water and healthcare.

The RBDF joins a growing list of international groups lending a hand by sending the HMBS Lawrence Major with dozens of skilled officers and containers filled with life-saving equipment and aid.

Capt. Sonia Miller, Commanding Officer, DART Team
“Our main responsibilities while in Jamaica will include water production and distribution operations of our forty-foot medical facility, and providing other support equipment and relief assistance.”

So how’s it done?

This specialized desalination facility uses the ocean as a water source, converting up to 1,000 gallons of water per hour into potable drinking water. It can also store up to 7,500 gallons — providing something countless Jamaican residents desperately need.

On hand to receive the officers were Jamaica’s Governor General Representative Desiree Golburn and Jamaican Defence Force Major Gladstone Linton.

Desiree Golburn, Governor General Representative
“We appreciate what you are doing for us here in Jamaica, in particular Falmouth and Trelawney. This is more than welcoming.”

Major Gladstone Linton, Jamaican Defence Force
“We show our appreciation for the effort put across by the Bahamian Defence Force, and I want to say thank you on behalf of the Jamaica Defence Force.”

Also in Jamaica offering hurricane relief assistance was the Disaster Risk Management Authority.

Leon Lundy, Minister of State, OPM. – Disaster Management
“Each contribution reflects a simple and powerful belief: when one of us is in need, all of us have a responsibility to respond.”