Soldiers On Pioneering UK Command Course
Two female soldiers from the Royal Bermuda Regiment [RBR] have flown to the UK on a specialist command course – the first to do so.
“And it is hoped to expand the pilot programme in the future to give the RBR’s women soldiers the same overseas training opportunities as male soldiers,” the RBR said.
“Corporal Zelipha Gitari and Lance Corporal Leeann Tucker left last week for a specialist training course for junior and senior Non-Commissioned Officers with the Royal Horse Artillery at Tidworth in Wiltshire.
“RBR Training Warrant Officer 2 Peter Ramm explained that male soldiers can undertake the similar British Army infantry course, run in Brecon in Wales, but, as women do not serve in the infantry in the British Army, the course is not open to females.”
Lance Corporal Leeann Tucker and Corporal Zelipha Gitari get set to fly out
Cpl Gitari, a six-year veteran of the RBR, said: “I’m very excited about it. It’s a great opportunity, not just for us, but for the Regiment as a whole. We are the guinea pigs. It’s something new for the Regiment and, if it works for us, it’s going to be great.”
The 31-year-old mother-of-two, originally from Kenya, added the course would expand on the junior NCO cadre run at Warwick Camp and offer promotion prospects to successful candidates.
She said: “The Regiment believes in us and that we can do it. It’s a matter of getting on with it and I’m up for challenge. It’s a win for the Regiment as a whole if we have a new course on board.”
And she thanked the Training Wing and Sgt Maj. Ramm for their efforts in finding a course in the UK they could attend.
The three-week course includes classroom lessons and time in the field on a major battle exercise.
L/Cpl Tucker, 24, said: “It’s great for me to learn something new and how the British Army operates. I’m looking forward to the experience.”
The nursing assistant from St George’s, who passed out of Recruit Camp as top recruit last year, added: “I wouldn’t get this kind of experience outside the Regiment. I’m very grateful for the opportunity.”
And she said: “Being in the Regiment has been great. I’ve had to be around more people and different personalities. It’s about being able to cope.
“That helps me outside the Regiment because if I can deal with all of that, I can deal with anything.”
Fantastic, well done and best of luck
Good luck ladies its great to see females putting the work in aswell as soldiers.
But they are soldiers, and all Bermudians should be proud of them
Good stuff.
This is great…but in this age of budget restraints, why are we sending soldiers to England to partake in battlefield exercises when such training has no relevance to Bermuda?
With shootings and gang activity of major concern, shouldn’t we explore more relevant training for our soldiers?
All the best young ladies, went to Brecon 40 years ago, it will be a challenge> Work hard do well. Hope to see one of you as the first female RSM in the very near future.. Best regards..
Volunteer for the regiment, join up for the extra training, open yourself to it and you will understand that what they are doing isn’t necessarily about the battlefield training and its relevance here. It is a hard experience, but can be a rewarding one and I wish them both well.
Congratulations to these two ladies we are sincerely proud of you, but they are not the first women the Regiment has sent overseas for specialist training as NCOs. There were three ladies who were sent overseas back in the late 80′s and two of them were sent out on training courses twice. These ladies now make it five. They are joining a very elite group of women. Congratulations once again.