NASSAU, Bahamas — Drill sergeants assigned to the Recruiting and Retention Battalion, Rhode Island Army National Guard (RIARNG), conducted a five-day subject matter expert exchange (SMEE) with Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF) Ranger instructors, to share best practices in training, leadership, and recruit development from March 9 – 13, 2026, at Coral Harbour, The Bahamas. The SMEE provided an exchange of shared objectives while strengthening trust and interoperability between U.S. and Bahamian forces.
“Their Ranger program is very comparable to our JROTC (Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps) and our RSP (Recruit Sustainment Program),” said Staff Sgt. William Naylor, drill sergeant, RIARNG. “We discussed how we conducted certain things within our program, to see how we could help streamline or enhance the RBDF Ranger program.”
The RBDF Ranger program is a structured youth development program that prepares young Bahamians for potential military service by emphasizing discipline, leadership, and basic military skills.
Naylor and fellow drill sergeants, Sgt. 1st Class Angel Mercado and Sgt. Bevin Pryce, opened the SMEE by outlining the RSP phases—red, white, blue, green and gold—that prepare U.S. Army recruits for basic combat training (BCT). “In red phase, we talk about breaking the Soldier down from an individual and turning them into a more team-oriented individual,” said Pryce. “We discussed a little bit of everything from each phase, how we break them down and we build them back up; what a training cycle looks like.”
Throughout the engagement, participants discussed instructional strategies such as structured teaching methods, risk mitigation and how to effectively manage training environments for students of varying experience levels. Drill sergeants shared techniques such as the Army’s “crawl, walk, run” method, breaking down complex tasks into manageable steps while reinforcing core values and leadership principles.
Leading Woman Marine Yazmine Pickering, a Ranger instructor, said one of the most impactful lessons was the emphasis on standardized instruction and structure.
“They [U.S. drill sergeants] have a set way of doing things that are standardized from giving classroom instructions to physical training,” said Pickering. “It’s something I do, but not to the extent like giving preamble commands.” For RBDF instructors, the exchange provided immediate, practical takeaways that can be implemented within their Ranger program.
“The risk assessment stands out to me the most,” said Petty Officer Nathalie Miller, Senior RBDF Ranger instructor. “After we left class, I noticed a group and it made me think of the risk assessment we had talked about. I pointed it [the risk] out and it was dealt with and corrected. Having the structure and another way to notice and correct a risk was very informative and I was like, ‘You know what? This is actually working.’”
Something else that stood out to Pickering were the campaign hats the drill sergeants wore.
“The second that we walked in here and I saw them with the hats, I thought, ‘Oh, my gosh, I know what comes with that hat,’” said Pickering. “I had a visceral reaction to the hat.”
Pickering said the campaign hat represented more than appearance—it symbolized a level of professionalism, discipline and authority that set the tone for the exchange.
“The hat carries weight,” said Pickering. “It represents experience, knowledge and a standard that you have to uphold. You could see it in how they conducted themselves and how they delivered instruction. I would love for the Rangers to have something similar because it provides more structure and structure’s always good.”
The exchange not only allowed RBDF instructors to refine their own teaching methods but also provided Rhode Island National Guard (RING) drill sergeants the opportunity to gain insight into how the RBDF develops its Rangers.
“This is a two-way exchange,” said Naylor. “We’re learning just as much from them as they are from us. Seeing how they motivate their Rangers and build that foundation at a young age gives us a different perspective on leadership development.”
Through continued collaboration, both forces aim to strengthen their instructional approaches while building a lasting partnership grounded in shared experiences and mutual respect.
Elise Sappington, a Human Security Integration Analyst supporting United States Northern Command (USNORTHCOM), participated in the SMEE to ensure the engagement supported the bilateral security cooperation framework between the United States and The Bahamas.
“Subject matter expert exchanges are a cornerstone of regional security cooperation,” said Sappington. “Engagements like these build enduring professional networks that extend beyond the immediate exercise. Participants often advance into leadership roles, carrying forward the relationships and lessons learned. Over time, these connections create a foundation for seamless collaboration during crises and comprehensive regional security.”