Soldiers Reflect on the Start of Their Military Careers
Rookie soldiers experienced physical and mental growth during the latest two-week Royal Bermuda Regiment recruit camp, which ended on Friday.
Two women and 15 men completed the foundational training that introduced them to aspects of military life such as weapon handling and foot drill.
Platoon Commander 2nd Lieutenant Daniel Wideman noted that the recruits were a younger crowd compared to the broader age ranges in other RBR intakes of recent years.
He said: “One of the things that came up recurrently during the camp was that a lot of them were looking for mental resilience, that was high on the list
“Physical fitness – we have a younger generation nowadays that spends a lot of time in front of a screen, their phones, so they came to the realisation that they would like to improve their fitness.
“It’s good to see that these younger men and women are looking to get that in their lives.
“There is the idea that with a healthy body and healthy mind you can be in a happier place – I think the military can help with that aspect because definitely mental resilience is going to be there, then physical fitness comes along, and you’ve also got discipline, which the military can provide.
“I think if you can get those three main blocks you’re on your way to a healthier lifestyle.”
2Lt Wideman highlighted the challenges faced by the soldiers during their overnight field exercise, which came as the island experienced heavy rain.
He said: “It definitely took them out of their comfort zone. For all but three of them it would have been the first time they experienced anything like that. It was really fill-your-boots kind of weather, it was raining so hard at times.
“They pulled together, they pulled through, there was some very nice teamwork involved and some encouragement to get the job done.”
Recruits will soon begin continuation training to fully prepare them ahead of joining the Regiment’s various companies.
Private Enshe-nico Davis, from Devonshire, enlisted with a desire to help people and would like to be a member of the RBR Coast Guard.
He said: “It has been a great experience. It has been physically challenging, in different ways.
“One area where I’ve excelled is pushing myself to do bigger things.
“I’ve usually had a problem with procrastination but I’ve been holding myself to a regime when it comes to personal admin, then also taking a bit of a different role when it comes to helping the other recruits.”
The 19-year-old, who is a business administration student at the Bermuda College and works at Supermart, enjoyed “the comradery and being able to come together with a group of people that have the same goal, and growing together”.
Private Winter Demello is a certified caregiver and mother of one, who joined the Regiment to overcome challenges and demonstrate resilience for her child.
She explained: “I’ve been through a lot in my life. From the age of two I was in foster care, I recently went through another traumatic event; I was left very scared and felt like I couldn’t defend myself in certain situations.
“I was feeling tired – like I had no fight for myself, no strength for myself, unable to stand up for myself.
“For me, it’s extremely important that I show my son I’m strong and I’m not going to allow what happened to me in my past to affect him.”
The 30-year-old, from Sandys, said that she developed confidence during her tough foundational training, when fellow soldiers became “like family”.
She looks forward to further development in her military career.
Pte Demello said: “This is just a two-week camp, obviously I will serve three years and I’m truly hoping for more of a push for me.
“The two weeks has been great, but I know I can do more.”
- For more information or to join the Royal Bermuda Regiment, visit rbr.bm or call 238-1045