Benjamin Key

    

Benjamin Key
United Commonwealth Chief of Army Staff
In office January 25, 2004 – August 6, 2007
President	George Abarough
Preceded by	Joseph Fenton
Succeeded by	George Martin
Personal details
Born	(1951-06-23) June 23, 1951 Charlotte Amalie, Virgin Islands, Antilles
Alma mater	Columbia Military Academy United Commonwealth Army War College
Military service
Allegiance	Antilles
Branch/service	Antillean Army
Years of service	1973–2007
Rank	General of the army
Commands	Chief of Army Staff Virgin Islands Area Command Special Operations Command
Battles/wars	Antillean War Operation Uphold Democracy

Benjamin Key (born June 23, 1951) is a retired United Commonwealth Army general of the army who served as the Chief of Army Staff from 2004 to 2007. He was the first Chief of Staff who had completed Special Forces training, having served in the 102nd Ranger Regiment. Over the course of his career he had both conventional and special operations assignments, which, before becoming the head of the Army, culminated in becoming the commanding officer of United Commonwealth Special Operations Command. Key participated in the Antillean War and Operation Uphold Democracy.

Early life and education

Key was born in Charlotte Amalie, the capital of the Virgin Islands, in 1951. When he was in high school he played on the baseball team. Afterwards he attended the Columbia Military Academy, graduating in 1973 at the top of his class and being commissioned as a second lieutenant. Key later attended the United Commonwealth Army War College from 1996 to 1997.

Military service

After being commissioned, he served in the 2nd Division as an infantry platoon and company leader. Key later commanded 4th Battalion, 17th Regiment, from 1976 to 1978, and then served as a staff officer of the 17th Infantry Regiment from 1978 to 1981. He completed the Ranger course in 1982 and became a member of the 102nd Ranger Regiment. As a Ranger, he was deployed during the Antillean War (Operation Caribbean Shield) and took part in taking control of the Bahamas against its Landonist government, and participated in Operation Uphold Democracy, the removal from power of the Jamaican military government in 1988 by the OECS and the United Kingdom following the 1987 Jamaican coup d'état. In 1989, as a lieutenant colonel, he became the executive officer of the regiment. After attending the Army War College, he was promoted to colonel in 1997 and became CO of the Ranger Regiment.

Retirement

Key and his wife at the inauguration of Michael Abarough in 2013.

Since leaving active service in 2007, Key became the president of University of the Antilles system from 2007 to 2012, and was on the board of directors of the Heritage Institute until 2019.

In January 2023, he endorsed William Ainsworth for the 2024 Federalist Party presidential primaries, and was one of the several retired generals and admirals who signed a letter published in Columbia City Herald that claimed that Arian Lawrence is "putting Antillean democracy in danger."

See also

Military offices
Preceded by Joseph Fenton	Chief of Army Staff 2004–2007	Succeeded by George Martin