?Chicken wings and fries, sir?, barked the private, as two weeks of strict military discipline took their toll.

Although the numbers were far from huge, the 116 soldiers who proudly paraded for family, friends and dignitaries at Warwick Camp on Saturday showed what can happen when the Island?s youth are treated to a harsh dose of reality.

What military top brass would be happy to concede were little more than ?rabble? when they first turned up for year 39 of ?Boot Camp?, were turned into smart, tidy and organised young men by two weeks of control by the Bermuda Regiment?s strict instructors.

The very worst of January weather made the 14 days of training, drilling, sports and excruciating attention to detail even harder than usual, but the Regiment?s newest recruits passed out in style in an entertaining, at-times humorous, strict and polished four-hour display at military headquarters.

?I stand here an extremely proud man,? said Lt. Col. Eddie Lamb following the prize-giving ceremonies which encompassed a whole gamut of tasks, including drilling, volleyball, football, shooting, running, marching and, much to the delight of many a Bermudian mother, barrack room cleanliness.

?I am proud of the young men on parade today. They have gone through a shocking change from their normal lives and I am sure will leave here better sons, better brothers, better grandchildren, better fathers, better employees and, overall, more productive Bermudians.?

This weekend?s ceremony, only briefly ravaged by downpours and strong winds, reached its pinnacle with the drill competition ? something that armies all over the world pride themselves on and platoon commanders here use as a measure of both their recruits? accomplishments and, it is rumoured, a chance to win a few cash wagers.

Even Nelson Bascome, Jr., who was taken into custody pending an appeal of his conscientious objector status, marched, drilled and presented arms with the best of them and, despite his protestations and desire to be different, was as smartly-dressed, well-ordered and obedient as every other recruit on display.

The odd attempt to out-shout comrades by some of the more confident recruits while under inspection by the panel of judges were met with questions about lunch with the ridiculously loud descriptions of meal ingredients all being administered in true military style.

Even the squalls that blew caps of two members of nine platoon didn?t fluster the recruits who rigidly ignored their wayward headgear and continued to drill, bare-headed, with all the seriousness and pride this discipline required. Although the marching became a little disjointed as soldiers carted crates of Heineken around the parade square, the prizes for a number of the fortnight?s different disciplines, the attempts to keep to strict military code were admirable.

?The camp went extremely well,? concluded Regiment spokesman Captain Wayne Caines, resplendent with polished silver sword at his side.

?The theme for this year was ?am I my brother?s keeper?? And as everyone could see out there by the way these young men conducted themselves, and the clear pride they had in their section and platoon comrades, the answer was a resounding ?yes?.

?The focus was on military discipline and military skill but there is also a social side to this camp and I think in two weeks we have seen what this type of environment can do for these young men.?

The recruits will now have two weeks back in real life before returning on Thursday nights for 42 weeks of the year and one weekend a month for the next three years and two months.

Given the bad press the Island?s youth have received in recent months given the alarming rise in the frequency and nature of bouts of public disorder, many would have been pleased to see so many young men in a more positive light.

The ?Boot Camp? seemed to have brought the best out in many of the young Bermudians in that parade square on Saturday and, given that a number of them have already spent time in other Island?s institutions enforcing overnight stays, maybe they will now all be willing to make the most of what freedom in Bermuda has to offer.