300 Soldiers To Take Part In Islandwide Exercise
More than 300 Bermuda Regiment soldiers will take over key points across the island next weekend as troops build up to their annual overseas exercise, scheduled this year to take place in the US.
Soldiers will occupy key points – mostly in Dockyard in the west and Ferry Reach in the east – as part of confirmatory training to ensure they are able to make the most of the two-week US training camp.
Training Officer Major Martin Wyer said: “It is cost-effective to get as much done here as we can so we can get the most out of our annual overseas training. We already do as much as we can on-Island, but we are constrained by the physical limitations and size of Bermuda.”
The exercise – April Advance – is based on a scenario that, as well as conducting internal security procedures, will also see soldiers practicing their public order skills only weeks before they leave for the US Marine Corps base at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina.
While in the US, our soldiers will take part in two weeks of intensive training using some of the most hi-tech military equipment available in an exercise dubbed Island Warrior.
Maj Wyer said: “It’s the culmination of all the training we have done in the Regiment in this training year – April Advance is the last Regimental exercise to put that into practice”.
“It’s an internal security-based exercise designed to ensure that we can put our intensive training into practice to protect key assets.”
The exercise – which takes place this Friday, 5 April to Saturday, 6 April – will use several areas around Dockyard and Ferry Reach
Maj Wyer said: “The public should expect a lot of troop movements via vehicle, foot, and on the waterways via the Boat Troop.”
Troops from the Junior Non-Commissioned Officers Cadre [JNCO] are scheduled to play agitators in a role designed to test responses by the troops guarding key areas. The Junior Leader’s will also be involved acting as simulated civilian population to enhance the realism of the training – with the Training Officer making it clear that they aren’t going to be in any danger from the Exercise activities.
Maj Wyer said: “It will all be in areas where it’s very clear where we are and the public should not be alarmed. The Bermuda Police Service is aware of our training and we also thank WEDCo for their assistance in allowing us to use some of their facilities”.
“There may be blank ammunition fired and there may be some mock demonstrations, but it will all be done in a very controlled way and there will be absolutely no danger to the public.”
He added: “The Regiment operates in line with UK and Canadian standards, some of the best in the world, so it’s vital we regularly carry out exercises like this.
“The Regiment has a variety of roles, from hurricane and disaster relief to ceremonial duties, as well as a public order obligation’”.
“We train rigorously for the worst to help make sure the worst never happens and we take our responsibilities very seriously.”
Money well spent keeping us safe from …. uh yeah … from the Taliban.
As ridiculous as this sounds conscripted soldiers are told exactly this during their time in the regiment. External threats are real, we are told. Just like the Easter Bunny, right?
Those in the are not told anything about external threats its internal threats that they are prepared for. The example they are given is of the assassination of the governor, his bodyguard & dog & the riots that happened after. When I was in the regiment I thought this was a bit amusing because there had not been any gun incidents for years but this was years ago & anyone with half a brain can see things have changed & internal threats are VERY REAL.
Really? I was always told our job was more geared to disaster relief and internal security when I was there. You really think we have to worry about other countries invading? For one we’re owned by Britain and two there isn’t a snowballs chance in hell the US is going to allow anyone to occupy territory on their doorstep. The Taliban…Really? They have no airforce, no navy, you think they’re just going to start jumping on commercial aircraft and slowly filter into Bermuda? For what? To attack the American consulate? The truth is the regiment is for iternal security. Riots break out, troops from the UK are called in, troops from the regiment are embodied taking as many of the undesireables off the street as they can and holding them in Warrick camp under the guise of being backup which will never happen. The UK troops dont need our help and Bermudians cant be trusted to perform their job against other Bermudians (theres a chance you might have to shoot your cousin or father with a riot gun…or worse). The most the Bermuda regiment would do is exactly what they’re doing in this exercise, holding key points, BELCO for instance, until the real soldiers arrive that is.
“The Regiment has a variety of roles, from hurricane and disaster relief to ceremonial duties…” – Why do we conscript our men to perform hurricane relief and ceremonial duties? It’s asinine that people think this is ok. IT’S NOT OK. It would seem that hurricane relief is the only ‘thing’ these men might actually be put to use in during their time up at Warwick Camp yet they spend next to no time actually learning how to perform relief operations. Instead, they run around like there is a real threat and guard key-points in practice. Who exactly is going to attack us? I mean really, who the f$%k would attack us?? Chainsaw training…useful, but never done. And the one or two times it is done will be more than enough to justify the conscription of hundreds/thousands of our young men in the minds of these wanna be soldiers/pro-conscription zealots. The status quo is broken. End conscription and implement mandatory national service at a charity of your choice. Men and women. It would save us millions. #easy #butthoseinchargedonthavetheballstodowhatisright #fml
end conscription and you will not have any hurricane relief either. do you really think these men would volunteer to come out and clean up after a hurricane…have you volunteered to come out and clean up after a hurricane for 8hrs.
I beg to differ. Bermudians, as lazy and bullheaded as they are, will always help thy neighbor in the aftermath of a natural disaster. Fabian wasn’t cleaned up by just regiment folk, nor Emily before. Conscripting our young men and taking 3 years and 2 months of their lives for a once a decade hurricane cleanup is not an efficient use of resources. A military force is not needed to remove debris. No matter how you try to justify it no weaponry is needed to pick up branches. Nor is marching and about turns. As of now you have a majority of soldiers under the age of 25. Remove the military affiliation and end conscription and you will see volunteers of all ages sign up for hurricane relief duties. Justifying conscription for hurricane cleanup is laughable, at best.
@ Family Man & mumbo the regiment was created due to internal issues & is not training soldiers to protect against external conflict but in fact from OURSELVES. Family Man mentioned the taliban in jest but the taliban as small of a threat as they are to superpowers put a spanner in the works of the mighty America & the rest of the world for years. Just imagine what a massive spanner Kim Jong-un could put in the works of the world if he makes real his threats. If this happened supplies would stop coming from America & we would have to rely on rations. If for a moment anyone thinks the wanksters with guns will be satisfied with rations & not take what they want I feel sorry for your naivety. Many of those will not show up to warwick camp when called in if the poop hit the fan but at least having 300 makes the odds higher. Who would you rather rely on when in a pressure cooker a bunch of gung ho out in the field rain, blow or shine soldiers learning to eat from packets of beans & wieners or those the government has given 70 plus million to because they wined about not having ENOUGH.
“the regiment was created due to internal issues & is not training soldiers to protect against external conflict” – If this is in fact the case why do we see conscripts running up and down the South Shore beaches/hillsides during recruit camp? Bermuda is, after all, 90% urban… Try as you hard as you may but actions speak louder than words. They train for external threats and pander to the public re: internal security and hurricane cleanup. A few hurricanes and riots 40 years ago and we still steal our young men’s time? Conscripting 300 because many won’t show up and you still want your toy soldiers is the dumbest thing I’ve heard all week…
They are running up & down the hillside for fitness training so they know who may pass out during real life scenarios & who won’t. You try running up & down a dirt & grass hill with full field gear on & see how much harder it is than a paved hill. No use finding out who’s fit enough when already in a state of emergency. The other reason is that its across from Warwick Camp so its not far soldiers & easy on gas needed for travel.
They do have an urban area up at Morgans Point for training but most of those who have never been wouldn’t know. There they have house clearing & riot training that used to be quite realistic but I’m not sure if it still is after all the sissies started wining about petrol bombs getting thrown next to their shields.
I may have been a bit too pessimistic when I stated most of the 300 wouldn’t show up & could be wrong about the recruits feelings of patriotism when it comes to times of crisis. As for your view of them being, “toy soldiers” that is unfair as they are pushed hard during training & taught much of what is needed to know about being real soldiers. If they were, “toy soldiers” hard as steel General Sir Peter Anthony Wall would not have commended the regiment for their professionalism as soldiers. This General had the fortitude to stick it to Prime Minister David Cameron so he would feel no way in setting, “toy soldiers” straight if he felt they were that.
I remember playing hide and go seek in the bushes at the base of Kilimanjaro. Which is actually quite fitting as I’m sure most of our trained soldiers would run and hide from any type of real threat… Anyway, those in charge called it the art of ‘concealment’. There were classes taught on it. Remember? Lots of bushes to hide in around Town though…LOL
You may have been playing hide and seek, the rest of us were learning. That comment alone gives away what type of person you were up there. Do you know what happens to your head when it’s hit with a 7.62 round? Im sure you’re one of those trained soldiers that would stand up or run across an open field in the middle of oncomeing fire rather than concealing yourself. Personally I’ve never used the training I recieved in the regiment but it did teach me other things that helped o change and excel my life in a positive direction. You can keep arguing ut it doesn’t make your comments any more valid.
We were litterally told to go and hide in the bushes and that our lance corporals would come and find us. When I was five that was known as hide and seek. Sugar coat it all you like but if it walks like a duck…well you know the rest. Alpha mike foxtrot, sir
Please tell me how you would teach a camoflage and concealment class. They tell your corporals to go find you so you know you’re doing it right, if you’re the clown that grabbed a branch and thought you were invisible, in real situations they have a position for you. Its called point man, first in the patrol AKA the bullet catcher, because thats about all you’re useful for if can’t grasp simple concepts. Are you a professional football player? Professional Basketball player? Softball? Badminon? But yet you had to do them in gym class, right? Why would you do those if you weren’t going to use them in lfe? Its not like you could learn something else from them like balance, agility, coordination. No matter the situation you find yourself in, no matter how useful you think it may be, you can always take something away from it, but it’s your choice. Next time you’re faced with something seemingly silly or not useful, try putting your all into it and see what you come away with.
Oh, I don’t know if that’s the dumbest thing I’ve heard all week. There’s been a lot of competition for that award over the past week.
not many white kids up there hun??
Der are white boys up der so shut ya mouth. Part of d family too, unlike you.
not many — guys up there cos they were born vandals and hunters, black men are not born with the killer mentality, why are we even gearing up for defense when there is no country around the world exhibiting terrorist behaviour except USA, it is a shame, Britian/Usa are continually at war with the rest of the world we need to be careful of our so called allies as black Bermudians..
Sad that you know so little about the real world. There are more wars going on just in the African continent than there are in all the other continents combined. http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2010/02/22/africas_forever_wars
not enough
what family idiot?
stand there with their guns to protect the white intrest?
until troops arrive?
clowns
Protecting Bermuda is akin to protecting white interests? Wow your race baiting and hatred knows no bounds does it? Can’t wait till hate filled and ignorant people, such as yourself, are gone from our shores for good. Then this island and ALL her peoplecan really start to see progress.
good luck with that
People with the loser and hateful mentality such as yours never propser and eventually your unbridled hate will be your downfall. Other than that you appear to be a true and utter a-hole…
protecting bermuda from what?
What white interests are the Regiment soldiers protecting?
To presume that The Regiment is racist is a clear sign of your own ignorance. The Bermuda Regiment is THE most integrated and non-racially biased institution on the island, hands down. It is the one place in Bermuda where no matter what color your skin, your degree of wealth, or what your family name is, you are treated the same as everyone else. People are promoted through merit alone and great friendships are formed between people from all walks of life. If not for any other reason, the Bermuda Regiment should always be, because it is Bermuda’s best tool to combat the rampant racism that infects this island, on BOTH sides. It would be in your own best interest to volunteer Jake.
Anything positive for the Bermudian young men and women you all moan and groan!! They do something stupid you b***h!! Damned if they do….damned if they don’t!! I have 2 kids there – even if they never use the skills taught, the Regiment keeps them positive and the love it!!
because its not anything else to to do on this rock ,,and your proud of that? and your toy soilder kids,,
wake up brothers
Conscription is a waste of time.
The Bermuda Regiment would do much better with Volunteers.
no saultus boys?
bda regiment is a joke,
95% black 5% white
just like in jail
*just like in jail*
And the reason for that is ? ?
Yeah , right , you wont like the answer.
The last time I looked there was a lot more than 5% white recruits so stop with the manipulation of figures.
Are you bitter because you are still eligible for the draft ?
Furthermore , I happened to attend school with a Bermudian black male who was lucky enough to have all of his educational fees paid for by the white employer of his mother. As soon as his name was picked by the Regiment he got on a plane and went overseas for ‘educational reasons’ for 14 years just to duck them.
The year that he should have started serving there was no other of his black classmates drafted , but a lot of white ones were.
He went on to become one of the most successful black males this island has produced since the 1960′s. In fact there’s a building in town now that bears his name and it isn’t in the back of town either.
Please quit with your self righteous , pitious and racist drivel.
a black man with his name on a building thats “not back of town” isnt saying much for the sh@t blacks have been through,
dont let these fools let you forget brothers
I don’t know how many times it has to said BUT HERE IT IS AGAIN:- GET RID OF THE MICKEY MOUSE ARMY. No need for war games.. Spend the money on training more POLICE and for the Much needed funds for the DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION.
Like when is you guys gonna get hit upside de head vif a what de-hell did dat bie say? oh ya..a 7.62345 Good lawd..Ya gotta be in a gang for dat fullishness bie! Army’s not a gang ROFLMAO.
OBA wise up. Cut to the chase and put the army money to good use….
Train all of the youth not jes 300 men.
I am absolutely confident the Regiment will do whatever is required of it. And training is just that – you train for a variety of crises to develop resilience so you can face anything. I never had to go to war with the then-Soviet Union, but the lessons I learned weren’t wasted. The lessons I’ve learned in the Regiment won’t be either.
And I am a “white boy”. One of the strengths of the Regiment is we’re all one colour – khaki.