Regiment Soldiers Training In England
Soldiers from the Royal Bermuda Regiment [RBR] are “facing unruly crowds as they encounter mock riot situations during public order training in Kent, UK.”
A spokesperson said, “Exercise Active Shield 26 – the battalion’s annual overseas camp – has been designed to reaffirm the battalion’s response capabilities in the event of civil unrest.
“More than 100 RBR troops arrived at Lydd Camp on May 18 and were joined by eight members of the Cayman Islands Regiment, who are training alongside the Bermuda contingent as they revise and learn techniques used to de-escalate tensions for safe and effective crowd control.
“In a purpose-built facility and supported by the British Army’s The Royal Lancers [RL], the soldiers are covering formations, manoeuvres and responses to specific circumstances such as opposing rioters or a casualty.
“By engaging with members of the civilian population, played by RL troops, they hone skills and deepen their understanding of the drills called upon to restore and maintain public order.”
Warrant Officer Class 2 Julian Simmons, the Company Sergeant Major for the exercising company, explained: “The purpose of the exercise is to bring up to date the RBR’s public order capability so that we can be deployed, if needed, for international security missions. The public order demand may not have been utilised in a number of years but this training exercise is to bring everyone up to current standards and make sure that the skills and drills are compliant with new regulations.
“The exercise also gives the troops an outlook on the levels of training that are required to deliver an effective public order response.”
A spokesperson added, “As they progress, soldiers will further develop their awareness of how tensions can escalate and take on petrol bomb inoculation as instructors aim to make the scenarios as realistic as possible.”
“Public order training is meant to take the troops outside of their comfort zones,” Sergeant Major Simmons said. “It’s a short flash to bang for those who have never done it and they will appreciate tremendously the efforts taken by the other troops who do it on a regular basis.”
A spokesperson added, “Members of the RBR will be in the UK for two weeks in total, travelling to Catterick, Yorkshire for the second half of their visit. There, specialist training is already being provided to armourers and exercises for the wider battalion will include a firing range package and defence engagement activities.
“The Regiment is deeply grateful for the support provided by The Royal Lancers as well as to the Bermuda Police Service, which sent a team of five observers in efforts to boost multi-agency interoperability.
“Training overseas allows the RBR to undergo activities over a protracted period on a scale not possible in Bermuda, in order to improve the overall operational effectiveness of the battalion.”
Captain Andrew Wallace, the Officer Commanding of the overseas exercise company, said: “The facility at Lydd is probably the best that the British Army has, it’s a huge privilege to use it. It’s unfamiliar territory for Bermudians, which is a massive bonus because that allows us to be tested in our navigational skills.”
A spokesperson added, “He highlighted the continuing relationship with the Cayman Islands Regiment, with which the RBR has worked since its inception six years ago.”
“It’s nice to see familiar faces and we’re happy that we get to introduce them to this exercise,” Capt Wallace said. “It’s a new experience for them and it’s good for the bonding of British Overseas Territories.”
