The two, alongside the Grenada Police and the Coast Guard, were collectively termed as the People's Revolutionary Armed Forces (PRAF) from 1981.

The PRA traces its roots to the National Liberation Army (NLA), which was formed in 1973 as the military wing of the insurgent New Jewel Movement (NJM) Party.

[4] In late 1977, the party dispatched 12 NLA leaders for four weeks of clandestine military training by a unit of the Guyana Defence Force.

They received intensive training in guerrilla tactics, weapons and other warfare skills in preparation for the overthrow of the government of Eric Gairy.

The near-bloodless coup occurred on the morning of March 13, 1979, on the orders of the NJM's Security and Defense Committee and under the tactical military leadership of key "Apostles."

Minister of Foreign Affairs Unison Whiteman returned from New York, where he was scheduled to address the United Nations, and instead began to negotiate with Coard for Bishop's release.

On 18 October, demonstrators surged through the city chanting pro-Bishop and anti-Coard slogans while police and PRA soldiers watched.

Bishop, Whiteman and the demonstrators then marched downhill to Fort Rupert to take over the headquarters for the People's Revolutionary Army by sheer weight of numbers.

[10] On 25 October 1983, the vanguard of 7,600 troops from the United States, and 350 from the Caribbean Peace Force, invaded Grenada, encountering resistance from the People's Revolutionary Army.

On the morning before the invasion, the PRAF mustered a permanent force of 463 men, supplemented by 257 militia and 58 untrained NJM party members.

"[12] By 27 October 1983, most of the Grenadian soldiers had either fled into the jungles or shed their military uniforms in an attempt to blend with the civilian population.