Major General
Edmund Dillon
Dillon speaking as president of the XII Conference of Defense Ministers of the Americas in 2016
Trinidad and Tobago Ambassador to Venezuela
Assumed office
17 August 2021
Prime MinisterKeith Rowley
Preceded byPaul Byam
Minister of Housing and Urban Development
In office
6 August 2018 – 9 August 2020
Prime MinisterKeith Rowley
Preceded byAdrian Leonce
Succeeded byPennelope Beckles
Minister of National Security
In office
9 September 2015 – 5 August 2018
Prime MinisterKeith Rowley
Preceded byCarlton Alfonso
Succeeded byStuart Young
Member of Parliament
for Point Fortin
In office
9 September 2015 – 9 August 2020
Preceded byPaula Gopee-Scoon
Succeeded byKennedy Richards
Personal details
Political partyPeople's National Movement (PNM)
Alma mater
Military service
Allegiance Trinidad and Tobago
Years of service1992–2010
RankMajor General
CommandsChief of Defence Staff

Edmund Ernest Dillon (born 7 November 1955)[1] is a Trinidad and Tobago military officer, politician and diplomat. He is the current Ambassador for Trinidad and Tobago to the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. Dillon was commissioned with the Coast Guard and joined the Trinidad and Tobago Regiment as an officer. He rose through the ranks and eventually became Chief of Defence Staff, a position that he held from 2006 to 2010. He was a Member of Parliament in the House of Representatives for Point Fortin between 2015 and 2020, when he served as the Minister of National Security and the Minister of Housing and Urban Development.

Early life

Dillon grew up in Guapo, Trinidad. He attended Vessigny Secondary School.[1] He studied at the University of the West Indies, where he received a certificate in management studies, a bachelor's of science in sociology and government, a postgraduate diploma in international relations, and a masters' of science in international relations from the Institute of International Relations.[2]

Career

Military career

Dillon was commissioned with the Coast Guard on 20 September 1974. He applied for an officer cadetship with the Trinidad and Tobago Regiment four years later in August 1978. The following year, he was granted a commission and trained as a cadet at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in the United Kingdom.[1] He completed staff officers training at the Canadian Forces Staff School and the Canadian Land Forces Command and Staff College.[2]

He attended courses at the Lester Pearson Peacekeeping Institute in Canada, the Army School of Ammunition in the United Kingdom, the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California, and Fort Leavenworth. He also received a masters' in military arts and science and diploma in military studies from the United States Army Command and General Staff College in 2001, a certificate in national security and defence strategy from the Inter-American Defence College, a certificate in alternative dispute resolution from the University of Windsor.[2][3]

Dillon served as a battalion adjutant, company commander, and staff officer in finance. He was battalion second in command of the CARICOM Battalion in 1994, during Operation Uphold Democracy in Haiti. He became commanding officer of the 1st and 2nd infantry battalions and the support and service battalion. He was commanding officer of the Trinidad and Tobago Regiment from 2004 to 2006.[1] Dillon was appointed Chief of Defence Staff on 14 August 2006.[4] He retired from this position on 6 November 2010, during a ceremony at Teteron Barracks, Chaguaramas where he was replaced by Roland Maundy.[1] He then worked as director of corporate security at Atlantic LNG.[5]

Political career

Dillon was first elected as a Member of Parliament in the House of Representatives in the 2015 general election. He contested the constituency of Point Fortin for the People's National Movement (PNM).[6] He was appointed as Minister of National Security on 9 September 2015, a position he held until 5 August 2018 when the cabinet was reshuffled by Prime Minister Keith Rowley. Dillon was replaced by Stuart Young and was reassigned as Minister of Housing and Urban Development with effect from 6 August 2018.[6][7] In November 2018, a street in Point Fortin – Big Snake Alley – was renamed Edmund Dillon Avenue in his honour.[8] While in office, he oversaw the construction of a new Point Fortin Hospital, a new fire station, and upgrades to the Mahaica Oval.[9]

He was screened by the PNM in May 2020 to re-contest his seat in the 2020 general election, alongside a number of other candidates.[9][10] The party ultimately chose Kennedy Richards, the mayor of Point Fortin, and Dillon assisted with his campaign.[11] He served as a CARICOM elections observer for the 2020 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines general election.[12]

Diplomatic career

Dillon was appointed as the Trinidad and Tobago Ambassador to the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela on 17 August 2021, receiving his instrument of appointment from the Minister of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs, Amery Browne.[13][14][15] He was received by Venezuela on 4 February 2022.

Honours and awards

Dillon received a number of awards for his military service, including the Medal of Merit Gold National Award, the Long Service Medal, the Efficiency Decoration, the Naval Order of Merit Medal for Distinguished Service in the First Category from the Dominican Republic, the United States Army Commendation Military Medal of Merit, the Fifth Summit of the Americas Medal, the Delaware Distinguished Service Medal, and the 1990 COUP Medal.[2] He was inducted in the Command and General Staff College's International Hall of Fame on 15 October 2008.[3] He was honoured with the UWI Distinguished Alumni Award on 2 April 2011.[5]

Personal life

Dillon is married to Ava Dillon and has three children: Cleavon Dillon, Adeisha Dillon and Toni Dillon.[2]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Kowlessar, Geisha (14 November 2010). "Dillon says farewell to the Force". Trinidad and Tobago Guardian. Archived from the original on 17 February 2022. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Major General The Honourable Edmund Dillon, Member of Parliament for Point Fortin and Minister of National Security" (PDF). Organization of American States. 2016. Archived (PDF) from the original on 17 February 2022. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
  3. 1 2 "CGSC inducts four international officers into Hall of Fame". www.army.mil. Archived from the original on 2022-02-17. Retrieved 2022-02-17.
  4. ↑ "Appointment in the Office of Chief of Defence Staff and Promotion to the Rank of Brigadier—Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force" (PDF). Trinidad and Tobago Gazette. 18 August 2006. Archived (PDF) from the original on 27 January 2022. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
  5. 1 2 "Dillon gets top award". Trinidad and Tobago Guardian. 10 April 2011. Archived from the original on 26 February 2022. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
  6. 1 2 "The Honourable Maj. Gen. Edmund Dillon, MP". Trinidad and Tobago Parliament. Archived from the original on 16 December 2021. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
  7. ↑ "PM revokes Dillon's National Security portfolio". Trinidad and Tobago Express. 6 August 2018. Archived from the original on 17 February 2022. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
  8. ↑ Webb, Yvonne (7 November 2018). "Big Snake Alley renamed Edmund Dillon Ave". Trinidad and Tobago Newsday. Archived from the original on 17 February 2022. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
  9. 1 2 Chan Tack, Clint (20 May 2020). "Dillon ready to serve again". Trinidad and Tobago Newsday. Archived from the original on 17 February 2022. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
  10. ↑ Webb, Yvonne (27 May 2020). "Point Fortin pleads for Dillon". Trinidad and Tobago Newsday. Archived from the original on 17 February 2022. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
  11. ↑ Fraser, Narissa (7 July 2020). "Richards: I can do more for Pt Fortin as MP". Trinidad and Tobago Newsday. Archived from the original on 17 February 2022. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
  12. ↑ Chan Tack, Clint (29 October 2020). "Dillon on Caricom observer mission to St Vincent". Trinidad and Tobago Newsday. Archived from the original on 17 February 2022. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
  13. ↑ Douglas, Sean (17 August 2021). "Ex-ministers Edmund Dillon, Lovell Francis appointed diplomats". Trinidad and Tobago Newsday. Archived from the original on 17 February 2022. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
  14. ↑ "Dhanpaul resigns from NIF". Trinidad and Tobago Express. 23 August 2021. Archived from the original on 17 February 2022. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
  15. ↑ "New Heads of Mission of Trinidad and Tobago Overseas Missions receive Instruments of Appointment". Ministry of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs. 17 August 2021. Archived from the original on 16 September 2021. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
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