The British Army recently welcomed the Royal Bermuda Regiment to a comprehensive overseas training exercise called Exercise Active Shield 26, which aimed to foster international relationships, develop military capabilities and resilience.
The deployment was intensive and took place at two separate sites in the UK. Training in public order was the first subject to be addressed by the visitors in Lydd Camp, Kent, and then in Catterick. It was there that the emphasis was on adventure training, weapons ranges and specific defence engagements with the Royal Lancers.
This joint exercise was an important time for the Bermuda forces to build up their operational capability and to show how active the UK was in supporting other UK overseas territory forces.
Strengthening Ties Through Intensive UK Training Phases
The rollout began with troops departing from Bermuda for the UK and entering a challenging course of study designed to challenge their brain and body.
Lydd Camp was used for public order training, educating the troops on proper handling of crowds and civil unrest. The main point of this part was do complex formations, drills, and those confirmatory checks too, so that soldiers could actually perform effectively when everything is high stress and moving fast.
In this initial period, Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Gloucester went out to the troops together with the Governor of Bermuda, who is a close diplomatic ally for the UK, more like a steady partner. His Majesty King Charles III, on behalf of The Royal Family, had made an official visit to Bermuda just prior to this visit.
The Bermuda soldiers had access to special equipment and special capabilities which were not available on their own home island at Catterick. The troops also took part in adventure training to further develop their leadership qualities in challenging environments, including hill walking and climbing.
At Catterick, the Bermuda soldiers gained access to specialized equipment and capabilities unavailable on their home island. To further build leadership skills in challenging environments, the troops also participated in adventure training activities, including hill walking and climbing.
Private Stevontae Somersall-Ahknaton of the Royal Bermuda Regiment said the exercise was a good one and their endurance was a lot better. The trainer’s training offered by the Royal Lancers was an outstanding learning experience, and he hopes to build on it upon his return home, he added.
In the end, the Bermuda soldiers found themselves in the territory of the Government of Bermuda, with greater tactical expertise and more powerful international allies. The drill was a wonderful exchange of both professional and personal experiences as the visiting troops were a reserve regiment and each man had a different background with them, said Captain Kingsleyfried.
The UK Government is currently recruiting new staff as part of their continuing operations. Currently there are 10,000 vacancies across the UK, in more than 200 different jobs including frontline combat, cyber security, chefs and helicopter pilots. Interested individuals age 16-50 can find out more about a military career on the official Army Jobs website.
