Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands - Tuesday, 17 February 2026: In a powerful demonstration of regional solidarity, five members of the Turks and Caicos Islands Regiment departed Providenciales on Sunday 15^th February 2026 to join a multinational British Overseas Territories Contingent tasked with providing Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) to Jamaica. The Team joins forces with the Royal Bermuda and Cayman Islands Regiments to confront the challenging aftermath of Hurricane Melissa. This deployment comes following a One Million US Dollars ($1,000,000.00 USD) donation to Jamaica by the Turks and Caicos Islands Government in November 2025 during the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Melissa. 

After making landfall on October 28,2025 as a ferocious Category 5 storm, Hurricane Melissa decimated Jamaica’s western parishes in St. Elizabeth, Westmoreland, Hanover, and Trelawny. Over 700,000 lives have been upended, with 200,000 homes shattered and with some communities remaining isolated. As critical infrastructure ad many homes remained significantly damage, the mission on the ground is now a race against time before the upcoming hurricane season.

The Overseas Territories Contingent will be embedded directly within the Jamaica Defence Force Engineering Regiment. In a historic joint operation, the TCI Marines will focus their efforts on the front lines of the recovery in St. Elizabeth. By prioritising the repair of roofs in the most devastated communities, the mission seeks to restore the basic human need of shelter, creating the vital stability for the nation to begin its long journey toward recovery.

This deployment is more than a military manoeuvre; it is a testament to the unbreakable bond between Caribbean nations. As the TCI Regiment works side-by-side with their regional partners, they carry with them the hope of a territory standing in steadfast support of its neighbours.

TCI Regiment troops during the HADR deployment with Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Colonel Ennis Grant.

Lance Corporal Greggory Wilson, Corporal Jean Taedus, Sergeant Kevin Hinds, Marine Richard Gardiner, and Lance Corporal William Dean.