Kudos, Commodore WemyssGorman
THE EDITOR, Madam:
IN NOVEMBER 2018, Slovenia’s government appointed a female officer, Major General Alenka Ermenc, as the head of armed forces, a first for the small country which is a member of NATO and the European Union. She served for the period November 28, 2018-March 14, 2020, and was the only woman to hold the top armed forces post among the NATO countries.
The United States military is divided into 11 commands, with two being led by women – US Air Force General Jacqueline Van Ovost and Lieutenant General Laura Richardson, appointed by President Joe Biden in March 2021. Richardson replaced Air Force General Lori Robinson who retired in 2018, and was the first woman to helm a military command. However, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is General Mark A. Milley.
Here in Jamaica, the appointment of Commodore Antonette Wemyss-Gorman as the next chief of defence staff of the Jamaica Defence Force would place her as the second woman in the world to achieve such a position; and pending no other appointment of women army chiefs by January 2022, may be the only woman leading a nation’s army in the world. While most countries may have women as soldiers, ascendancy as army chief is not an easy route.
The ascendancy of Commodore Wemyss-Gorman may be likened to that of ‘The Queen of Kingston’ Cubah. Known among the Ashanti as Akua, she was the leader of a completely different rebel group that possibly worked in tandem with Prince Tacky’s forces during the 1760-61 rebellions. Cubah was not only a warrior but a healer.
Congratulations to Commodore Wemyss-Gorman on her appointment. May the spirit of our ancestors, especially Queen Cubah, be an inspiration of shared wisdom. With a career spanning 29 years “characterised by notable achievement and exceptional service”, may you continue to practise the way of radical distinctiveness in leadership.
DUDLEY MCLEAN II Mandeville, Manchester dm15094@gmail.com