Jamaica Defence Force

Acting Director, Health Services Corps

Major Gail Ranglin Edwards

Major (Maj) Gail RANGLIN EDWARDS currently holds the appointment of Acting Director, Health Service Corps (HSC) at the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF). She has held this appointment since 1 Dec 22. Prior to her current tenure, she has held various appointments at the JDF over the past fourteen (14) years in the capacity of Medical Officer since joining the Regular Force on 13 May 09. For most of her career at the JDF, she held the appointment of Force Medical Officer, where she led the health and medical services and had the responsibility for acute and emergency medical services, humanitarian and disaster response, laboratory, and aeromedical services.

Whilst at the JDF, Maj Ranglin Edwards received training and certification as a Military Flight Surgeon and an Aeromedical Examiner with the US Army School of Aviation Medicine and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), respectively. She also serves as a member of her National Emergency Health Planning Committee and is the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Emergency Medical Team (EMT) National Military Focal Point and EMT Coordinator. She also spent some time in 2021 working with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Jamaica country office, supporting the country and Caribbean Sub regional Technical Advisor on Public Health Emergencies.

Maj Ranglin Edwards previously led several public health efforts at the JDF, including the US
Department of Defence HIV/AIDS Prevention Program, a subsidiary project of PEPFAR. She has
a passion for humanitarian, emergency disaster management, and response. This passion was ignited by her tour of duty with the JDF for the 2010 Haiti earthquake. She endeavours to engage in current and future projects with the Ministry of Health in Jamaica to advance the capabilities and delivery of disaster and medical response in the Caribbean.

Maj Ranglin Edwards is a third-year Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) candidate at the Harvard
Chan School of Public Health. She also and holds a Masters in Global Health Planning and
Management at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health; a Bachelor of Medicine
and Surgery (MBBS), a Bachelor in Medical Sciences (Hons.), and a BSc (Hons.) in Biochemistry
and Zoology at the University of the West Indies.