Colonel (Col) Elon Cauloyd Clarke prior to his appointment was the Jamaica Defence Force’s Foreign Liaison Officer to Joint Interagency Task Force South, United States of America. He was the first officer to be assigned and was responsible for establishing the post which plans and coordinates counter illicit trafficking operations in a joint, interagency and international environment. Col Clarke served for two years at the Jamaica Defence Force Joint Information and Operations Centre as the Deputy Staff Officer with responsibility for operations planning and interagency coordination.

Col Clarke is a graduate of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst where he received a Queen’s commission in the rank of Second Lieutenant through the Basic Officer Commissioning Course in May 2003. Since then he has held a number of military appointments, including Infantry Platoon Commander, Special Forces Troop Commander, Special Forces Company Second-In-Command and Military Intelligence Company Commander.

He has also served as Training Officer for Recruit Basic Course and Non-Commissioned Officers’ Development Courses at the Jamaica Defence Force’s Military Training Wing (now Caribbean Infantry Training Center) and for the Special Forces Basic Qualification Course currently held at the Caribbean Special Tactics Center.

Col Clarke was deployed as a Special Forces Troop Commander with Task Force North in the Eastern Caribbean during Cricket World Cup 2007 and also served as the Jamaica Defence Force’s representative on the Airport Communication Project (AIRCOP), a joint endeavour of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), INTERPOL and the World Customs Organization (WCO). While assigned to AIRCOP he participated in a multinational exercise in Dakar, Senegal.

Col Clarke holds a Master of Science in Security and Risk Management from the University of Leicester and a Master of Business Administration from the University of the Commonwealth Caribbean. He is also a graduate of the Caribbean Junior Command and Staff College, the United States Army Advanced Military Intelligence Officer Course, and the Canadian Forces French Language Course at the Canadian Forces Language School in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec, Canada.

Col Clarke is the recipient of the Medal of Honour for General Service for operational duties conducted locally, the Medal of Honour for Long Service and Good Conduct and the Jamaica Military Commendation Medal. He volunteers as an instructor with the United States Naval Sea Cadet Corps and is a member of the Florida Keys Toastmasters – Naval Air Station Key West chapter.