The history wall of the First Battalion The Jamaica Regiment (1 JR) was etched again in November 2008, when Warrant Officer Class One (WO1) Calvin Dryden was appointed as the Unit’s 10th Regimental Sergeant Major (RSM) since Jamaica’s Independence in 1962. He succeeded WO1 Ashley Campbell who has since retired.

By virtue of this appointment, WO1 Dryden is the most senior enlisted service member in 1 JR. He is admired by his subordinates, and superiors alike, as a stanch enforcer of good conduct and military discipline. WO1 Dryden is not a stranger to the First Battalion The Jamaica Regiment having served as Battalion Drill Sergeant and acted as RSM on numerous occasions.

In sharing his reasons for choosing to serve in the JDF, WO1 Dryden said that the JDF is a noble institution and that he is happy to have joined the Force. He believes that the training and core values of the JDF, if continuously employed or practiced, are capable of transforming any individual to becoming a decent, law abiding and productive citizen. 

Calvin Dryden was born in Bluefields, Westmoreland on 22 May 1967. He attended Rusea’s High School in Hanover. He joined the JDF in March 1987, and after completing his basic training was posted to the Second Battalion The Jamaica Regiment (2 JR), Alpha Company. In 1992, he was posted to the Support and Services Battalion (Sp and Svcs Bn) and enjoyed a short stint as an instructor at the JDF Training Depot. Whilst at Sp and Svcs Bn, he also served at the JDF Supply Depot. He was later re-posted to 2 JR in Aug 04. His second tenure in 2JR was however short lived. During this short tenure, he was appointed as Alpha Company Sergeant Major and later Battalion Drill Sergeant before being posted to 1 JR in November 2006. 

RSM Dryden is the recipient of the Medal of Honor for Long Service and Good Conduct. His greatest moment to date was to be the Conducting Warrant Officer during Exercise Calypso Hop in England in July 2007, in which members of 1 JR had the distinct honor and privilege of forming the Queen’s Guard at Buckingham Palace.

RSM Dryden believes that the JDF is strategically positioning itself to better assist the civil authority to tackle the monster of crime and that 1 JR’s role is critical in this process. He stresses that the Senior Non-Commissioned Officers he supervises will be hard pressed to play their role in improving the knowledge, skills and attitudes (essentially the combat skills and professional conduct) of each individual soldier under their command.