On Friday 31 October 2008 the Grenadian Peacekeepers were awarded the UN service medals for peacekeeping duty in Haiti. Three Grenadian peacekeepers are presently serving with MINUSTAH and are the only Caribbean peacekeepers serving with the UN Police (UNPOL) there. The team comprises of ASP Osmond Griffith, Cpl Randolph McDonald and PC Dexter Carmichael. All Officers are members of the RGPF assigned to the Grenada Coast Guard. The ceremony was held at the UN Peacekeeping HQ Hotel Christopher and the medals were presented by the UN Police Commissioner Diallo Mamadou Mountaga (Guinea). The UN Commissioner thanked the Grenadian contingent and expressed his gratitude that a small Country such as Grenada was willing to give personnel in the effort to further the peacekeeping and stabilization mission in Haiti. ASP Griffith in response expressed thanks on behalf of the people of Grenada, his parent unit the RGPF and the UNPOL Contingent in Haiti for the recognition of their efforts by the UN in the award of the UN service medals. He also pointed out that to the Grenadians, the medals were a symbol of service and sacrifice rather than reward for service rendered. ASP Griffith noted that Haiti and Grenada were also bonded by the ties of being Caribbean Countries making the efforts of the Grenadians also one of assisting their fellow Caribbean Brothers and Sisters. Grenada entered peacekeeping with the UN with the deployment of ASP Griffith (Coast Guard Commander) to MINUSTAH in 2006. He was assigned as the UNPOL Maritime advisor responsible for assisting with the reorganization and development of the Haitian Coast Guard. On completion of the one year deployment a request was made from the UN Department of peacekeeping operations to the Grenada Mission in NY for the redeployment of ASP Griffith and two additional officers with Coast Guard experience. The three Officers arrived in Haiti on 2 September 2007 and have been assigned to the Maritime Team of the Border Section. ASP Griffith presently heads the Unit responsible for Maritime Affairs and works closely with the Haitian Coast Guard. Reprinted from Caribbean Net News caribbeannetnews.com