Regiment Recruits Complete First Week Training

January 17, 2016

The Island’s newest soldiers today [Jan 17] marked a milestone by completing their first week of training.

The 66 Royal Bermuda Regiment [RBR] recruits, all volunteers, left Warwick Camp for a few hours’ leave before their final week at Warwick Camp begins on Monday.

The troops attended a traditional drumhead church service after completing a gruelling five mile road race on Saturday.

Maleke Martin, 18, said he had joined the former Cadets and later transferred to the Junior Leaders.

The 18-year-old from Sandys added: “I had a lot of fun, liked the military lifestyle and wanted a career.

RBR Lieutenant Tyler Owen prepares for a gruelling six mile run – pushing a stroller with sons [L to R] Christian, six months, and Sebastian, aged 2.

Regiment Recruits Complete First Week Bermuda Jan 17 2016 (1)

“I enjoyed the sports, but I hurt my knee and couldn’t take part in the sports night we had, but I definitely had the team spirit.”

Corporal Andre Smith, who is part of the training team for 7 Platoon, said: “They’ve been pretty good – morale has been high.

“They’ve been putting in the effort – but this week coming, the effort has to come up even more. We want to make sure they finish off strongly.”

“We have people who want to be here – most of them are switching on and realizing they are cut out for this and they can finish.”

The two platoons in this year’s camp competed against each other on Saturday in the road race, with one officer, Lieutenant Tyler Owen, opting to push a double stroller with his two sons, Sebastian, aged 2, and six-month-old Christian, the entire way.

Soldiers singing clapping along to a hymn at the traditional drum head church service to mark their first week of training in the RBR.

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Lt Owen said, who is commanding 8 Platoon, said: “It gives my wife a bit of a break – but I think I’ll still get in the top 20 per cent. It should be fun – I love taking the boys on runs and they love to get out.”

Lt Owen added: “The recruits are doing very well. I’m pretty impressed and the attitudes are good – they’re trying. They’re getting on target after just one week.”

“This is my first recruit camp as an officer, so I didn’t know what to expect, but it’s been good.”

Private Kevin Fraser, 20, from Somerset, said: “From the experience I had in the Junior Leaders, I really liked the military. I’ve already signed up for the junior NCO’s cadre.”

Pte Fraser, who works for Jadefox Audio, added: “I’d like to train new recruits myself and join the motor transport section. I’ve really enjoyed the week. The first four days were tough, but you adjust to it. But I’m looking forward to going home and having a nice, long shower.”

Regiment Commanding Officer Lieutenant Colonel Michael Foster-Brown addresses the troops at the drum head service on Sunday.

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Dante McKenzie, 21, from St George’s Parish, said he had been called up for this year, but decided to sign up after he was later told that conscripts would, for the first time, not be required due to the high number of volunteers.

He added: “My aim is to get into the US Coast Guard and this experience will help me to do that.”

Pte McKenzie said that he had enjoyed the first week – but admitted he found drill practice “really tough.”

He added: “I’ll be happy to finish and pass and that I got through it all. And it’s helping me step towards my goal.”

The recruits are also the first to train with the RBR’s new stock of SA-80 rifles – and learn new parade ground drills as the rifles are shorter than the ageing Mini Rugers they have replaced.

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Comments (9)

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  1. sage says:

    Machine gun firing then hymns.

  2. Flikel says:

    Do we need the regiment in its present form? The regiment has many full-time officers and staff many whom earn 6 figure salaries.

    Do we really need all these full time soldiers for a part-time army? What do the full timers normally do all day? When this camp is over, the recruits will attend Warwick Camp one or two evenings a week for a few hours…what do the full timers do all day, every day?

    • Fsbod says:

      As a conscripted soldier who’s almost finished… most full time do nothing.

      Just silly projects and paper work that takes a few hours tops to complete but somehow manages to take months in between the several camps per year.

      • Leaper says:

        Clearly you are “in the know” about what the FT employees do. As a conscript, you must be privy to so much of the inner workings of the regiment.

    • Triangle Drifter says:

      Valid questions IMO. At on point the Regiment budget was about equal to the fire services. Must remember to check for more up to date numbers.

      What do they do at Warwick Camp all week? Do they practice truck loading for storm cleanup?

  3. Had Enough says:

    You know what gets me is people who are always quick to complain about salaries other people make who actuall work full time. Become a full time soldier and you’ll maybe get the same benefits, otherwise stop complaining.

    • Bill says:

      Had Enough, could not agree with you more!

      The likes of triangle drifter , leaper,flikel, are louts who just sit on their backsides and complain all the time.When the Regiment is called out after a hurricane, these blanks are sitting at home complaining.

      As I have said before, and I will say it to you.If you hate Bermuda and what it’s people do, go home.

      As David Lopes says, “there are flights leaving the island every day, there is one to take you back home to wherever you come from”

  4. Jus' Wonderin' says:

    Haha bra you lot don’t do anything up there anyways that warrants a six figure salary! Especially not the colonel!

  5. Ignorance says:

    Alot of people talking but not alot of knowledge coming out. Theres nowhere near as much full time staff as you all think there is and all the people that dont show up to camp when they are suppose to are the ones that give these full time staff the most work to do