On June 18, ahead of Father’s Day, the Belize Coast Guard paused its critical maritime security operations to recognize a less talked about role that more than 100 of its service members fill every day: fatherhood.
Held at the service’s headquarters, the first-of-its-kind Father’s Day Appreciation Luncheon brought together uniformed fathers from across ranks to step away from patrol schedules, operational duties and the constant demand of their national security mandate, to celebrate their dual commitment to country and family.
For Belize’s coast guards, duty does not follow a standard 9-to-5 workweek. Tasked with protecting the nation’s territorial waters, countering smuggling, and conducting search and rescue operations, personnel spend weeks at sea away from home, missing countless milestones that most parents take for granted. Belize Coast Guard Commandant Rear Admiral Gregory Soberanis, himself a father in service, spelled out the unique sacrifice these men make.
“The sacrifice that we make as military personnel is significant. The time spent away from home, away from your family, there are key moments that you miss at times where the regular citizen can enjoy an eight to five job more or less. That’s not our timeframe. We are always on the go because of the mandate that we have. So you find that many of our or all of our fathers really spend a lot of time away from home. And so it’s those moments, those family moments, whether it’s a graduation whether it’s a birthday or a family gathering, we can’t always be there,” Soberanis said.
Yet even with these unpredictable, demanding schedules, the majority of father-service members maintain active, loving roles in their children’s lives, a commitment organizers said has long gone unrecognized publicly. The luncheon was designed as a small but meaningful gesture to shine a light on that double dedication: to protecting Belize’s borders, and nurturing their own families back on shore.
For Rigoberto Rivas, a Chief Petty Officer with 25 years of service in the Belize Coast Guard and a father of five, the recognition felt like a long-overdue honor. “To be recognized as a father is a great pleasure for me because it’s a big responsibility. And apart from that, it’s a pleasure, to be a father. I am pleasure to be a father of five and a husband, [to] a lovely wife. And apart from that, like I said, as a leader as well, it’s a pleasure for me to be here standing after twenty-five years of service. To my wife back home and my lovely kids, I love you all,” Rivas shared in a heartfelt address to attendees.
The afternoon was filled with casual fellowship: attendees shared stories from their careers and family lives, enjoyed friendly competitions, and exchanged words of encouragement for one another. Beyond honoring the fathers in uniform, the event also shone a light on the quiet work of the families who support service members through long deployments and missed holidays.
Soberanis emphasized that the commitment these fathers make extends far beyond their own homes, directly strengthening the coast guard’s ability to keep Belize safe. “Fathers today, we honor them, we highlight their commitment to duty. We highlight their selfless service, and we also highlight what they bring to the table when it comes to the execution of operations for the safety, security, and naval defense for the country of Belize,” he said.
This report was compiled by Shane Williams for Belize’s News Five, from a transcript of the outlet’s original evening television broadcast.