Repairing hurricane-hit homes in Jamaica deepened the sense of pride and responsibility within Royal Bermuda Regiment soldiers as they worked alongside troops from other countries to help restore normality for residents.

The RBR said today that visiting parts of St Elizabeth — one of the worst-affected parishes when Hurricane Melissa struck as a category 5 last October — became a powerful reminder of the lasting impact that can be delivered by boots on the ground.

It added that Operation Olive Branch was undertaken to restore safe, livable housing and contribute to restoration efforts in the country, where the storm claimed dozens of lives and the destruction included losses of housing, livelihoods, power and water access.

Captain Travis Stevens, the RBR Officer-in-Charge of the two-week deployment, said: “When we arrived in St Elizabeth, seeing in person the devastation we had previously only watched on the news was a sobering experience.

“It reinforced immediately why we were there and strengthened our resolve to make a meaningful impact.

“The British Overseas Territories contingent — comprising personnel from the Royal Bermuda Regiment, Cayman Islands Regiment and Turks & Caicos Islands Regiment — completely replaced roofs on 14 homes.

“These were not temporary repairs, they were full restorations, including wall plates, rafters, sheathing and waterproofing.”

The Overseas Territories soldiers worked with the Jamaica Defence Force and the Ghana Armed Forces.

Captain Stevens said: “Both forces demonstrated tremendous professionalism and patience, coaching our soldiers with the heart of teachers.

“That investment paid dividends. Once trained, our troops were able to operate more efficiently and begin working on multiple homes concurrently.”

He added: “Importantly, our soldiers are taking these skills back to Bermuda, strengthening our own disaster-response capability.”

The RBR said that the most powerful aspect of the experience was the reception from residents, as teams worked in the St Elizabeth areas of Black River, Middle Quarters and Thornton.

Captain Stevens said: “Many of the homes we worked on belong to families who have lived there for generations, families who have weathered countless storms over the years.

“Hurricane Melissa uprooted lives in a way that was both sudden and devastating.

“Being able to shake a homeowner’s hand, look them in the eye and tell them their roof is secure again instilled an overwhelming sense of pride and responsibility.

“It sharpened the focus of every soldier on site. Every cut became more precise, every bolt more secure. There was a collective determination not to leave until the job was done properly.

“I am proud and honoured to serve alongside some of Bermuda’s most selfless, driven and committed soldiers in restoring such a beautiful country.

“We are deeply grateful to all partners involved in this momentous restoration effort.”

Among the RBR soldiers deployed was Private Jason Miller, a 45-year-old truck driver who was born and raised in Jamaica but has lived in Bermuda for 11 years.

The Warwick resident, who like his fellow troops volunteered for the operation, said: “The regiment has been good to me, I’ve learnt a lot from the regiment, and I’m Jamaican so I wanted to be able to give back to my home country when the opportunity arose.

“It was wonderful.”

Acting Lance Corporal Elleston Taylor, 35, a property maintenance technician from Devonshire, was also pleased to support the effort.

He said: “As a Jamaican, it was important to me to sign up when I knew the RBR would be going to Jamaica. It felt good to be there, I was able to help and also interact with some people, so it was a nice feeling.”

More than 20 RBR soldiers were involved in the deployment and returned to the island on Saturday.

Upon arrival, Private Camille Chin-Gurret, 26, shared: “Before I went, I wondered how I would be able to help repair roofs – I had not much knowledge or carpentry skills – but I was taught chiselling, sawing, precise cutting.

“It was an amazing experience.”

• For information on joining the Royal Bermuda Regiment, visit rbr.bm, call 238-1045 or e-mail rbr.recruiting@gov.bm