19 August, 2014

Dear Sir,

Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to express an opinion concerning a recent article on the Bermuda Regiment which appeared in your newspaper.

Specifically, the comments attributed to the CO Mr Foster-Brown, who expressed optimism going forward as well as highlighting what he considered to be good pay for conscripts.

Before dealing with those comments let me first state that there were two lessons learned during my formative years which seem applicable when giving a response.

The first lesson was that maths, unlike some other classes, was indeed objective. That is, the process taken to solve an equation was either right or wrong with the answer providing irrefutable proof. That is 2+2=4, 2x3=6 and so on. That fact remains consistent whether dealing with basic maths or the most complex algebraic or geometric equations.

With that in mind, consider what can only be described as the extremely misleading statement made by Mr Foster-Brown in that article. He is quoted as saying, “People also don’t realise how good the pay is. The commitment of time is less than many people think, with soldiers earning about $15,000 for a three-month commitment over three years, with one of those months abroad in places like the US, Canada, and Jamaica.”

That works out to be about $5,000 per year with conscripts being forced to work just one month per year, if one would believe Mr Foster-Brown. Yet when doing the math that statement cannot be substantiated.

Following is a basic outline of the work commitments required of those unfortunate enough to be conscripted into the Bermuda Regiment. This is according to yearly requirements.

• Boot camp: 17 hours per day for 14 days = 238 hours.

• Weekend camps: 25 hours per camp for six camps = 150 hours.

• Drill nights: Four hours per night for 36 nights = 144 hours.

That is a total of 532 hours which, when divided into the $5,000 mentioned, comes to $9.40 an hour. That can hardly be described as “good pay” particularly when considering the very high cost of living in Bermuda. So doing the math exposes Mr Foster-Brown as misrepresenting the facts regarding the pay of conscripts as well as the amount of hours required.

That brings me to the second lesson learned during those formative years. That is that whenever you discover someone misrepresenting the truth in one area they are not to be trusted in any area. For all too often it is not always what they say but what they don’t say that contributes to a distorted picture.

In this specific instance that is indeed true. For what Mr Foster-Brown does not say is that he is the primary beneficiary of conscription along with his fellow officers and other full time personnel who are grossly overpaid. He receives $152,000 per year with many perks. (That considered, one can understand his optimism). The full time staff account for just over fifty percent of the annual budget, $7,000,000, while the rest must be used to pay over 350 conscripts and operational expenses.

Secretaries at Warwick Camp are paid an exorbitant $96,000 per year making them perhaps the highest paid secretaries in Bermuda. Do the math and one quickly realises why those forced to “serve” are paid such ridiculously low wages in a system which is just wrong.

Also not mentioned is the most unfair system of fines put in place, which allows officers to take huge amounts of money from conscripts, relatively speaking, for the smallest infraction committed. For example, not shaving properly, arriving late results in a $200 fine. As a consequence of this these young men are further robbed of their already meagre earnings. Attend drill night and receive $36 pay. Small infraction and be fined $200. A most ingenious way for the Regiment to take in tens of thousands of dollars a year from those already being exploited. Perhaps Mr Foster-Brown would be kind enough, in the spirit of transparency and disclosure, to provide your newspaper with the amount received in fines and where that money goes. Surely there are records kept.

Sadly the current Government persists with this most unfair system, which has viciously exploited thousands of young men for the past 49 years and continues to do so, and that is even more disturbing. Whatever happened to “An honest days pay for an honest days work?”

According to a recent Government release money is needed to transition from a conscript army to one consisting entirely of volunteers. A good place to start would be a restructuring of the current pay structure along with an immediate infusion of sufficient funds to pay these young men what they deserve now. Although the 1965 Defence Act allows the Government to pay conscripts low wages it in no way mandates that it do so. There is discretion.

It is incredibly ironic that the pathetic excuse being used by the present Government is a lack of money when every year for the past 49 years successive governments have saved literally tens of millions of dollars because of this most egregious practice.

LARRY MARSHALL Sr

Bermudians

Against the Draft