Colonel Mahatma E WILLIAMS was born in the parish of Manchester, Jamaica. He attended the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in 1994 and was awarded the prestigious overseas Cane for being the top overseas student. Whilst at Sandhurst he represented the academy and went on to represent the British Army as a boxer. Colonel Williams attended various military courses to include the Platoon Commanders Battle Course (UK 1997), the Jamaica Junior Command and Staff Course (Jamaica 1999) The US Marine Corps Expeditionary Warfare Course at the US Marine Corps University, Quantico (USA, 2006) Managing Defence in a Wider Security Context Course (MDWSC) at University of Cranfield (UK 2008), Legal Aspects of Combating Terrorism Course at the Defense Institute of International Legal Studies (USA, 2011) Command and General Staff Course (GGSC) at the US Army War College Fort Leavenworth (USA 2012) and Canadian Security Studies Programme (CSSP Can 2014). Colonel WILLIAMS served one tour as platoon commander in the United Nations Mission in Haiti (UNMIH) 1996. He also served for two (2) years in the United States as the Foreign Liaison Officer at the Joint Interagency Taskforce – South (JIATF-S), Department of Defense (2020- 2022). He established the Recruitment Standards and Doctrine for the JDF’s anti-terror special operations unit, the Counter Terrorism Operations Group (CTOG). Whilst at CTOG he implemented and executed a five-year joint training/funding agreement with the Canadian Forces and the Canadian Ministry of Defence (Department of Military Training and Cooperation). The Jamaica Defence Forces first State of the Art Joint Operations Center named; Joint Information and Operations Centre (JIOC) was implemented by Colonel Williams where he lead a team of information, operations and intelligence analysts, who developed the current operational control and reporting software now known as the JDF Reporting System (JDF-RS). Whilst at the JIOC, Colonel Williams re-established regional military partnerships especially with the Joint Interagency Task Force South (JIATF-S) operating in the US Southern Command Area Of operations. He also initiated Subject Matter Exchange with the Canadian Forces to establish the Jamaica Defence Force Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART). Colonel WILLIAMS commanded the 1 Engineer Regiment (JDF) and simultaneously stood up the new Directorate of Training and Doctrine battalion. As the Colonel General Staff at Headquarters Jamaica Defence Force, Col Williams had responsibility for Operations, Intelligence, Training, Public Relations and Communications & ICT.

Other major projects advanced were:

a. Chairman for the Board that was responsible for crafting and execution of the Jamaica National Service Corps (JNSC). This is a social intervention mechanism utilized by the military to recruit at risk youth and mentor them through a two-year program of military, vocational and life skills training.
b. Planning for the declaration and execution of initial Zones of Special Operations (ZOSOs) in
high violence area.
c. Colonel WILLIAMS holds a Bachelor of Science Degree (BSc) in economics (major) and International
Relations (major), a Master of Science Degree (MSc) in Economic Development Policy and a Master of
Military Arts and Science Degree (MMAS).