Editing Belize Defence Force (section)

==History==
The military of Belize dates back to 1817, when the Prince Regent Royal Honduras Militia, a volunteer organization, was founded. 

Between 1817 and 1978, the military force in Belize has had ten different names:<ref>{{cite book|first=Donald Norman Albert|last=Fairweather|title=A Short History of the Volunteer Forces of British Honduras (now Belize)|year=1979}}</ref>
* '''The Prince Regent's Royal Militia''' (1817–1866)
* '''The Belize Volunteer Force''' (1866–1868)
* '''The Belize Volunteer Corps''' (1868–1883)
* '''The Belize Light Infantry Volunteer Force''' (1897–1905)
* '''[[British Honduras]] Volunteers''' (1905–1916)
* '''British Honduras Territorial Force''' (1916–1928)
* '''British Honduras Defence Force''' (1928–1942)
* '''British Honduras Home Guard''' (1942–1943)
* '''British Honduras Volunteer Guard''' (1943–1973)
* '''Belize Volunteer Guard''' (1973–1977)

The BDF was founded in 1978 following the disbanding of the Belize Volunteer Guard and the Police Special Force the year before.<ref name="cavehill.uwi.edu">{{cite web|first=Dion E.|last=Phillips|title=The Military of Belize|url=http://www.cavehill.uwi.edu/bnccde/belize/conference/papers/phillips.html|year=2002|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20121211184053/http://www.cavehill.uwi.edu/bnccde/belize/conference/papers/phillips.html|archive-date=2012-12-11}}</ref>

After Belize achieved independence in 1981 the [[United Kingdom]] maintained the deterrent [[British Army Training and Support Unit Belize|British Forces Belize]] in the country to protect it from [[Guatemalan claim to Belizean territory|invasion by Guatemala]]. During the 1980s this included a battalion and [[No. 1417 Flight RAF]] of Harriers. The main British force left in 1994, three years after Guatemala recognised Belizean independence, but the United Kingdom maintained a training presence via the [[British Army Training and Support Unit Belize]] (BATSUB) and [[25 Flight AAC]] until 2011 when the last British Forces left [[Price Barracks|Ladyville Barracks]], with the exception of seconded advisers.<ref name="cavehill.uwi.edu"/> The BDF Maritime Wing became part of the [[Belize Coast Guard Service]] in November 2005.<ref name="ra_20071213">{{cite web|publisher=Channel 5 |title=Belize |url=http://www.channel5belize.com/archive_detail_story.php?story_id=15230 |date=13 December 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110504030931/http://www.channel5belize.com/archive_detail_story.php?story_id=15230 |archive-date=2011-05-04 }}</ref>

On 15 October 2011, the BDF changed their issued military uniforms from American-based to digital versions since October due to concerns that criminals can easily acquire them.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.sanpedrosun.com/politics-and-government/2011/11/16/belize-defense-force-changes-uniform-to-a-digital-camouflage/ | title=Belize Defense Force changes uniform to a digital camouflage | date=16 November 2011 | access-date=13 February 2023 | archive-date=13 February 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230213175202/https://www.sanpedrosun.com/politics-and-government/2011/11/16/belize-defense-force-changes-uniform-to-a-digital-camouflage/ | url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://guardian.bz/?p=5902 | title=New uniforms for BDF soldiers &#124; the Guardian Newspaper | access-date=11 April 2023 | archive-date=15 April 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230415034145/https://guardian.bz/?p=5902 | url-status=live }}</ref>

In October 2015, due to rising tensions between Belize and Guatemala and the British cutback on military bases worldwide to focus on the [[War On Terror]] in 2011, Belize asked the UK to bring BATSUB back;<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.sanpedrosun.com/community-and-society/2015/11/07/the-british-are-back/ | title=The British are back! | date=7 November 2015 | access-date=7 April 2023 | archive-date=3 October 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231003104244/https://www.sanpedrosun.com/community-and-society/2015/11/07/the-british-are-back/ | url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://edition.channel5belize.com/archives/120792|title=Leaked B.D.F. Report – Escalation in Guatemalan Aggression Towards B.D.F. in the Sarstoon &#124; Channel5Belize.com|access-date=7 April 2023|archive-date=9 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230409130822/https://edition.channel5belize.com/archives/120792|url-status=live}}</ref> the British Government brought BATSUB to Belize once again.<ref>{{cite web|title=No Joke Jimmy, The Brits Are Back|url=http://www.7newsbelize.com/sstory.php?nid=34133&frmsrch=1|website=7 News Belize|access-date=28 October 2015|archive-date=18 February 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190218082136/http://www.7newsbelize.com/sstory.php?nid=34133&frmsrch=1|url-status=live}}</ref>