Established in 1962 after Trinidad and Tobago's independence from the United Kingdom, the TTDF is one of the largest Military forces in the English-speaking Caribbean.

The current Chief of Defence Staff is Air Vice Marshall Darryl Daniel, who replaced Rear Admiral Hayden Pritchard upon his retirement on 25 March 2019.

The regiment has two primary roles: maintaining the internal security of Trinidad and Tobago and support to civil law enforcement.

The Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard is the seagoing branch of the TTDF which was established on 1 June 1962 and commissioned into service less than 3 months later on 27 August 1962.

Its mission statements is "To Defend the Sovereign Good of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and to provide on a continuous basis, quality service for security and safety within the Maritime Boundaries, and in any other area of responsibility agreed to by the State to fulfill its International Obligations".

The Coast Guard is primarily involved with Drug Trade interdiction as well as Search and Rescue within the waters of Trinidad and Tobago and neighbouring Islands.

During the 1970 Army Mutiny in Trinidad and Tobago, the Coast Guard prevented the mutineers from convoying to Port of Spain by firing on an access road from the Regiment base at Teteron Barracks in Chaguaramas.

The Coast Guard also played a role during the 1990 Jamaat al Muslimeen coup attempt, providing logistical and naval support to the ground forces of the Regiment, posted outside the besieged city limits.

[2] In April 2007, the Coast Guard contracted for three offshore patrol vessels from VT Shipbuilding (later BAE Systems Surface Ships) in Portsmouth, England.

[4][5][6] In August 2018, the government contracted with Austal to build two Cape-class patrol boats at Henderson, Western Australia, scheduled for delivery in mid-2020.

The current commander of the Air Guard is Group Captain Kemba Hannays, who took over from Kester Weekes, in a promotion and appointment ceremony on July 10, 2023.

Group Captain Weekes took command of the unit in 2019, succeeding then-Air Commodore Daryl Daniel upon his promotion to Chief of Defence Staff in March 2019.