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Contents 1 History 2 Today 3 Facts & figures 4 See also 5 Referencess 6 External link

Main article: Military history of Barbados

Throughout the colonial history of Barbados, Britain routinely stationed large segments of its West India regimental troops on the island of Barbados. The troops acted principally as a force to secure the island against any invasion by other European powers as well as to help protect other neighbouring British territories in the Eastern Caribbean from invasion. So successful were British colonial troop deployments to Barbados, it has been said that Barbados is the only country in the Caribbean region never to have changed hands since the British first landed and established the city of Jamestown (around the first quarter century of the 1600s) until independence.

Today as a fully independent country, Barbados posses a moderate sized military command . This force is made up of the Barbados Defence Force (BDF) The Barbados Ground Forces, the Barbados Coast Guard, and the Royal Barbados Police Force (RBPF) in addition to other governmental command in the country. These forces together are administered under the office of the Barbados Prime Minister. These forces often act in concert to maintain law and order in the country as well as to route-out illegal activity and other threats to the country of Barbados. With the backing of the Eastern Caribbean's Regional Security System (RSS) Barbados has a framework for calling in a follow-on military command from other Caribbean islands as well and in the most severe of cases, from the larger International community.

Military branches

• Barbados Defence Force (includes)

• Ground Forces or Troops Command
• Coast Guard

• Royal Barbados Police Force (2005)

Military service age and obligation

18 years of age for voluntary military service; volunteers at earlier age with parental consent; no conscription (2001)

Manpower available for military service

• males age 18-49: 71,524
• females age 18-49: 72,302 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

• males age 18-49: 54,510
• females age 18-49: 54,889 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$NA

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

NA%

• Barbados
• Barbados Regiment
• Barbados Landship
• Regional Security System

• This article contains material from the CIA World Factbook (2006 edition) which, as a US government publication, is in the public domain.

• Eastern Caribbean Regional Security System - regionally based in Barbados