In recent years there has been a lot of debate about the viability of the Bermuda Regiment.Some have claimed it is discriminatory to force men to join the military but not women. This year there were record numbers of volunteers for the Bermuda Regiment, and many of them were women.A total of 162 recruits passed through the gates of Warwick Camp nine of the 36 volunteers were female. This is an increase in the number of volunteers, both men and women, from recent years.The Royal Gazette spoke with some of the women to learn why they had signed up for such activities as weapons firing, drills and gruelling physical tests of strength and endurance, when they could have spent the time more comfortably elsewhere.The answer is that in these economically challenged times, the Bermuda Regiment is increasingly being seen as an opportunity for self-improvement and not just for Bermudian women.“This was something I have been thinking about for a couple of years,” said Elysha Joell, 31. The mother-of-four recently lost her job. “My family was very happy that I joined. I have a bad attitude, so within myself I thought I might benefit from a little bit more discipline and it would help me to deal with others.”Private Zelipha Mbugua, 27, is originally from Kenya. She arrived on the Island in September when her husband, Edmund Gitari, moved to Bermuda to work.“I always wanted to join the military but back home I couldn't because I am too short,” said Pte Mbugua, who stands at 5ft 1in. “The limit is 5ft 5in in Kenya for the women and guys should be taller. I am the shortest in my platoon so I am really short. I haven't been able to get a job yet in Bermuda. This came up, and I thought I might as well volunteer. It is a career move, because I have a diploma in law and a bachelor's degree in international relations. I would like to become a diplomat back in my country so this is a strategic move in that direction. I would like to work on human rights and international law.”Pte Patricia Alexander, 23, recently finished business administration studies and joined the Bermuda Regiment for the challenge of it. She aimed to join the Junior Non-Commissioned Officer Cadre training programme known as the Cadre programme, which starts after two weeks in the Bermuda Regiment.“I have spent the last six years in St Lucia,” she said. “I was thinking of joining the British Army when I was in St Lucia, but to finance it, I couldn't get out there. I had been back in Bermuda for three weeks when I saw an e-mail that went around calling for volunteers and conscriptors. I went on the website to learn more about it.”Pte Samantha Smith, 22, joined the Bermuda Regiment to become more disciplined and more physically fit.“They were going to push me and say you need to do this,” she said. “I joined for the discipline you find here, the organisational skills you develop from being here, and the overall environment. I don't come from a regiment family. None of my immediate family have been in the regiment, but some of my male friends have been in it. There is one female that is here, that is one of my friends. I saw her join and I thought if she can do it, I can do it.”Pte Smith recently achieved her General Education Diploma (GED) and is hoping the Bermuda Regiment will make her a better employee.“I came up here to develop skills that would help me in a job,” she said. “I lacked organisational skills. I procrastinated a lot, although I was getting better as I was getting older. I have only been here a week and I can see some changes already. I am learning to take time seriously.”Pte Joell said her family were ecstatic that she had joined the Bermuda Regiment.“I don't take anything from anybody,” said Pte Joell. “Coming up here will help me to curb myself and to control my actions, and speak a little bit more before I do act. Everyone is very happy that I am here. They are telling me, ‘you are going to make it'. They know that it will be good for me. They are very encouraging to me.”Her children range in age from ten to two years old. They have been cutting articles out of the newspaper about the Bermuda Regiment, and they were excited to see a photo of recruits that included their mother.“My oldest, Ryonde, is particularly excited about it,” said Pte Joell. “It is something he would like to do. He is asking me how it is, and will it be the same for him.”Pte Joell said so far it had been worth joining the Bermuda Regiment.“I can't really say anything has been difficult,” she said. “I enjoy doing everything, but the use of certain muscles that you haven't used… you actually feel it. Every time it comes to drill I am in more pain than anything. It is up to you. If you do what you are supposed to do, everything goes smoothly.”One of the most challenging aspects for some of the female recruits was the physical fitness aspect of recruit training.“The hardest thing so far, would be keeping up with others who are more physically fit than I am,” said Pte Smith. “I am very strong, but a lot of what is needed here is endurance, such as with running. I have completed most of the things I have been asked to do. I did the five-mile run. This morning I couldn't because I had an injury. I took some medication and I am back on my feet. I have a sprained ankle because I slipped on the steps. I couldn't do the run this morning because I had an injury. I thought about giving up, but I said to myself that I joined this for a reason, not just to sit on the sidelines. That is where the push comes to motivate yourself to get things done.”She said that once she is more physically fit, she would like to join the cadre programme. She plans to wait until next year, however, so that she has time to raise her fitness level.“We girls face a challenge that the guys do not face because our barrack room is on the other side of camp,” said Pte Alexander. “That sometimes makes being on time a challenge. We could come from drill late, and had two minutes to our next class. We would have to go to our room, come back and get our rifle. That is challenging. We have to run. Today, I was running and I fell. These drill boots are very slippery. The biggest challenge is getting where you need to be on time. When you are late for one class, you are late for every class for the day.”Pte Alexander said she hoped the time management skills she was learning would carry over into her career.“Everything is intertwined here,” she said. “You have to learn how to organise your time which is a key thing in any part of life. If you can't make deadlines you can't do work. On days like today we are busted, and you have to find the motivation to make your team look good. If one person doesn't look good, the whole team doesn't. It helps you with self-motivation and to push yourself. If you can push yourself in one aspect you will eventually learn.”For Pte Mbugua the regiment has held unexpected challenges. For example, her small stature means that she struggles to handle a rifle.“When I came in I thought I would be into rifles, but I am at a disadvantage,” she said. “Me being short means my hands are short. The rifle is too long for me. I had never come into contact with a rifle before. I thought it looked really cool, until I held it. I have trouble even balancing it. The rifle does have a big kick back. It is crazy.”The female volunteers this year are by no means the first ladies in the regiment.“The majority of people in higher ranks running the programme are male, but there are a few women,” said Pte Smith. “It is nice to see that women can make it there too. The regiment is usually a man's type of world, so a woman has to fit into that. I have to keep up. The best thing about being here is pushing my boundaries and limits to see how well I can do. It makes you feel so good about yourself when you get out there and accomplish something. Once you have completed it you feel a lot better. I felt really good when I finished the five-mile run. I would encourage other women to try it. I think they said that this year they have had more women then they have seen in awhile. When there are more women here they can encourage each other. It becomes like a family, and that is really nice.”Pte Mbugua said she had also felt immense pride at overcoming some of the obstacles involved.“At the end of the day when you have been able to finish all the things you had to do, you feel really good. The next day you are so tired and you are thinking ‘not again'. But then you say to yourself, if I did it yesterday, I can do it again tomorrow.”