Budget cuts are causing the Regiment to be careful with their spending — including making this year's Recruit Camp a day shorter.

Recruit Camp this year will last 13 days as part of budget cuts, according to the Regiment's Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Colonel Brian Gonsalves.

"We received a ten percent budget cut (last year)," he said. "And we've been cut more moving forward." He estimated that the additional budget cuts at around four percent.

Despite the drop in budget, Lt. Col. Gonsalves said that serving the community remained the Regiment's top priority

"My directive says that there are the areas we need to focus on, things like supporting the Island in times of crisis," he said. "I've got that directive. It doesn't change.

"We're having to take steps to mitigate the loss of cash and still meet all of the objectives set out for us. We're trying to shave a little off the budget here, a little there.

"That's what we did with Recruit Camp. We did a little shaving and a little moving, and we were able to cut it by a day."

While the Regiment has cut the length of the camp in the past, Lt. Col. Gonsalves said that he has no desire to make the cut permanent.

"We have no intention of keeping it like this going forward," he said. "The two-week window works."

Even after the cuts, Lt. Col. Gonsalves said that the Regiment was looking to improve its equipment in the future in response to recommendations made during a 2005 review by British Army officials.

The review criticised the standard of the Regiment's equipment and questioned the chain of command and training, but praised other elements, including morale.

Following the review, Lt. Col. Edward Lamb, the Commanding Officer at the time, said that a five-year plan was put into place to replace equipment, including rifles, vehicles, and communications equipment.

Lt. Col. Lamb said in 2006: "The review was the catalyst and gave support to our cries. It validated that we need the cash injection."

The upgrades began last year according to Lt. Col. Gonsalves, and are still intended to continue in the future.

"Last summer we received a few new vehicles. Not everything we needed, of course, just the first batch.

"We still need to replace the boats, and the communications system we have right now is simply beyond its serviceable life."

A new communications system is expected in the future, but in order to cut the budget, the system would likely be shared by the Island's emergency services.

"The plan is to purchase one system for the Police, the Fire Service and the Regiment, but that is stuck at the ministerial level," he said.