By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Chief Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

OUTGOING Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF) Commodore Raymond King said yesterday that he holds no ill will toward the Davis administration for not renewing his contract.

While he suggested he would have liked to remain longer, Commodore King acknowledged that “there is a season for everything” and that his time at the helm has come to a close.

He made the remarks during an interview with The Tribune, where he reflected on his leadership, the RBDF’s accomplishments, and his lasting impact on the organisation.

“Naturally, one would have that bias and that desire to remain as long and then we would have done considerable work,” he said in a sit-down interview. “But I also understand the concept, and the Bible clearly indicates it, for everything under the sun, there’s a season.”

Commodore King’s leadership began at a critical time, as the country was grappling with the aftermath of Hurricane Dorian and the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Despite facing setbacks in his career, including moments when he was not favoured by leadership, he returned to the RBDF after serving as port controller, driven by his concern for the country’s response to Hurricane Dorian.

Under his leadership, reports of illegal smuggling and poaching declined. He credited these improvements to his operational experience, which allowed him to adopt a proactive approach to maritime security.

He described how strategic enforcement efforts redirected migration and smuggling routes away from The Bahamas, reducing migrant landings in areas like South Beach and curbing the use of traditional drug trafficking routes.

“From one perspective,” he said, “I look at it in terms of the leadership, the expert leadership I would have bought, the organisational agility, and then the transformative part of my leadership, we would have done much, and that is still being unfolded in terms of making this organisation a learning organisation.”

He expressed pride in transforming the RBDF into a “learning organisation,” focusing on operational agility and expert leadership. He highlighted his efforts to strengthen border protection and advance national youth development, along with introducing a morale unit for officers and the authorship of the country’s National Security Strategy.

His tenure, however, was not without controversy. Following a US indictment implicating several Bahamian officials, including a former RBDF officer, he defended the force’s internal systems, calling them “very robust” and noting that penalties for misconduct are severe. He added that the RBDF had developed draft ethics regulations and model laws to improve accountability.

He criticised the actions of those involved in the scandal, saying their behaviour unfairly tarnished the reputation of the entire organisation.

“The organisation is far from what is being addressed in that indictment, in terms of his reputation, in terms of transparency, integrity and honesty,” he added.

Despite the scandal, he was confident that the RBDF’s partnerships with international agencies remained unaffected. He also spoke proudly of laying the groundwork for two new centres of excellence — a drone academy and the Bahamas Maritime and Military Academy — both set to be commissioned soon.

Looking ahead, he expressed his pride in being known as “the people’s Commodore,” a title he believes reflects his accessible, non-partisan leadership style.

As he prepares to retire after nearly 40 years of service, King hinted at continuing to serve the nation in a new capacity, though he declined to reveal any details.

“The country could rest assured that there will be another capacity for Commodore King to contribute to the national development in this country in a positive and meaningful way for the greatest number of people,” he said.

He expressed confidence in a smooth transition of command and promised a respectful handover, something he noted had been lacking in past leadership changes.