Veteran broadcaster Fae Ellington commissioned as Honorary Colonel in JDF

Veteran broadcaster and media personality Fae Ellington was on Monday officially commissioned as an Honorary Colonel in the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF), becoming the second Jamaican to be granted this accolade.

Ellington was given the honour for her exceptional, sustained, and selfless contribution to national development and her unwavering support for the JDF.

Declaring that her life's maxim is to consistently raise her bar of excellence, she said the honour reflects an alignment of her personal values with those of the JDF.

“I'm doing the work with pride and with dignity and respect for an institution that, when you think of the JDF, you think of those words: pride, dignity, respect, precision.”

She told The Gleaner that she has been providing service to the JDF for 45 years after becoming intrigued by the organisation as a young broadcaster covering the state funeral of former Prime Minister and National Hero Sir Alexander Bustamante.

“I was just fascinated with the precision, the rehearsals, the deliberateness of making sure that things are just right. And it linked with my personality, you know. And I just caught the bug,” she said.

She said she subsequently volunteered as an emcee for a fundraising event, and that was the beginning of her relationship with the Jamaican military.

Working under the guidance of protocol expert, the late Merrick Needham, who was the first Jamaican to be commissioned as an Honorary Colonel in 2018, Ellington said her role included providing communications training for members.

“I would go in and train, do training for them, different groups, even at their CMA (Caribbean Military Academy). I have been there and done training for different sets of people in communication, different sets of officers,” she said.

The commission is in accordance with Regulation 12(1) of the Defence Officers Regulations, 1962.

The granting of honorary commissions is a well-established practice in Commonwealth nations. 

It recognises individuals who have made significant contributions to national institutions and who uphold and promote their traditions and values.

- Sashana Small

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