Fines and camp detentions have been handed out to soldiers caught slacking during the recent terrorist scare.

And Bermuda Regiment commander Lieutenant Colonel David Gibbons has vowed to keep a tighter reign on troops during the next call up and mete out immediate punishment for offenders.

On Thursday Regiment chiefs met to consider how to deal with soldiers seen dozing with weapons in their hands and drinking on the job during the embodiment after the terrorist attacks in the United States.

He said the command and control structure would be tightened with extra checks and more senior personnel supervising posts.

He said: "Discipline needs to be handed out on a more timely basis.

"Otherwise it hangs over the heads of soldiers or they think because it hasn't been dealt with it must be okay."

Lt. Col. Gibbons said he had dealt with six of the 22 disciplinary cases himself.

Offences during the three-day call-up, which started on September 11, included insubordination, absenteeism, drinking, smoking and neglect of duty.

Punishment included camp detention - with work duties and cell detention - and fines.

One private was fined more than $800 for two separate charges of disobedience and smoking.

But there was good news for the Island's temporary troops - those patrolling between dusk and dawn will only man posts for a maximum of two hours rather than six during embodiment.

And there will be more entertainment laid on for bored troops at their stations.

Lt. Col. Gibbons said: "They need downtime activities. There will be videos, TV and magazines.

"We need to make sure that's in place at the earliest possible moment." He said he had been generally pleased with what the Regiment's 250 embodied troops had accomplished. "Platoons were on the ground within four hours of embodiment which was what we were aiming at.

"We were able to ease the apprehensions and concerns of our tourists and secure the airport.

"We want to prevent the slip ups which were a great shame."

Regiment Commander David Gibbons has explained why armed troops were not issued with live ammunition during embodiment.

He said bullets could have been quickly issued if the situation had escalated, but it had not been necessary at the time.

Police who guarded Bermuda's airport had live rounds during the security alert following the September 11 terrorism attacks in the US.