Brandishing their Uzis, members of the Bermuda Regiment got a taste for combat this week.

It was only training, of course, but with a little bit of imagination they could have been engaged on some do-or-die operation.

Continuous fog and rain only added to the sense of drama.

The two weeks of training at Camp Blanding Training Site in Jacksonville got underway on Sunday.

The camp's training is known as Exercise Seminole Warrior and is designed to test the physical fitness, mental toughness, and military discipline of the Bermuda soldiers.

Along with the Bermuda Regiment there are two other units at this camp, the Royal Gibraltar Regiment from the Isle of Gibraltar and the East England Regiment from the UK.

Camp Blanding is a huge military training facility that spans 76,000 acres.

It is used by the US Marines ant the Florida Air National Guard.

Training began on Sunday at 5 a.m. with reveille, then breakfast at 6. Some soldiers were taken out to the firing range to focus on the basic principles of marksmanship.

Others were learning internal security procedures, which can be used to protect the residents of their home land in case of a national emergency.

Lieutenant Ernest Danino, senior officer of the Royal Gibraltar Regiment said that "Gibraltar is much like Bermuda in that it is a small island, with a population of 30,000 and a Regiment of 300 men and women in total. This is the second time we have been attached to the Bermuda Regiment for training. The first time was on a previous training exercise in Jamiaca; however, we usually train in Morocco."

Meanwhile Lieutenant Steven Davies, senior officer of the East England Regiment said this was the first time his troops were training with the Bermuda Regiment.

"We are a part of the United Kingdom Territorial Army (Reservists), which are spread over a large area of the UK comprising approximately 600 personnel.

"We train one night a week, as well as one weekend a month with an annual two-week camp."

The upcoming week will hold soldiers tackling the Leadership Reaction Course and learning military tactics which will prepare them for the final four day training exercise beginning on March 9.

Deputy Governor Tim Gurney, and the Minister of Labour, Home Affairs and Public Safety Terry Lister are scheduled to pay the troops a visit before they return to Bermuda on March 15.