A Spirit of Service What is the JDF? The Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) was formed on July 31, 1962 just a few days prior to Jamaica becoming a sovereign independent state within the Commonwealth of Nations. Although the Force itself is still young, it has a long history of descent and traditions stemming from units raised in the West Indies since the mid-seventeenth century. Exterior, The Jamaican Military Museum. Credit: Sherez Jackson On June 2, 1962 soldiers of the Royal Ham