New Bermuda Regiment recruits made their first public display of skills during the Passing Out Parade at Warwick Camp.

Hundreds of family, friends, and dignitaries fought high winds and a late afternoon rain shower to take in the annual ceremony, on Saturday.

"It makes me extremely proud," said Sen. David Burch, who oversees affairs of the Regiment as Minister of Public Safety, after seeing the 176 recruits parade through the courtyard.

He also once wore the same sharp white coat and held the same Regiment rifle.

"It's probably the time of the year when I most miss being in the Regiment," the former recruit said. "I know every single word of command, I know what's coming next, I pick out all the mistakes.

"It's a time when I can cast my mind back to being a recruit, being a corporal, being a platoon commander, being a judge, being a company commander, and then being the C.O.," the Minister said breathlessly, revealing his true excitement for the day.

While this recruitment class spent the past two weeks in Boot Camp, the public has weighed the actions of Bermudians Against the Draft (BAD) ? a group challenging the legality of conscription.

Its leader, Larry Marshall, Sr., has publicly compared conscription to slavery and heavily criticised the Premier's support of the Regiment as being out of touch.

"If you're opposed to something you're going to criticise every aspect of it," rebutted Lt. Col. Burch. "And I just think ? as a word to the BAD if you like ? if you don't wish to serve in the Regiment that's fine.

"There is a mechanism and a process they appear to be utilising to prevent them from serving and I respect that completely.

"But what I resent is: that everything in this organisation has to be decried in order to further your cause."

BAD's filing with the Supreme Court is now said to have 18 names, at least six of the men named were supposed to have reported to duty for the current recruitment class according to the Regiment's Commanding Officer William White.

Lt. Col. White confirmed last week that he was actively looking for one man who had evaded Boot Camp.

When asked for a progress report Saturday, Lt. Col White indicated there was a court injunction which prevented him from making any further comment.

However he did say: "Right from the start these 170-odd men have had the opportunity to consider that whole prospect (the legality of conscription) and they continue to serve."

Governor Sir John Vereker addressed the recruits and their families after the parade, but did not to use the word conscription in his speech.

He said: "You should be proud, as we are all proud, of the Regiment of which you now form part. It has done much, and it will continue to do much, for Bermuda.

"It has many sources of support, and these too are illustrated here today."

The level of public support for conscription has been a bone of contention between the people who back it and those who want it ended. Mr. Marshall has told the media the support is overestimated.

Meantime, Sen. Burch declared: "A majority of the people in this country support service in the Regiment. How do I say that? You've got 18 people objecting, there's 55,000 of us in this country!"

The recruits were split up into four platoons for the parade. They marched before a standing room only audience.

The crowd seemed particularly wowed by Platoon 7 which had a collection of brave recruits who danced in seemingly perfect unison as it left the grounds.