No it's not a scene from the Texas Chainsaw Massacre...

If you see this camouflaged man wandering down the road one night clutching his chainsaw, you can rest assured that he was trained by the National Training Board.

Colour Sergeant Gavin Rayner was one of nine regiment officers who were rewarded with the coveted National Proficiency Tests Council (NPTC) Certificates of Competence from the UK. They all passed Chainsaw and Related Operations Level 2 with flying colours.

Certificates were presented to them yesterday by Development Minister Terry Lister at an official ceremony yesterday at Warwick Camp. "In the aftermath of Hurricane Fabian in September 2003, the Commanding Officer (of the Regiment) Lt. Col. Edward Lamb, instructed that members of the Regiment must have chainsaw and tree felling skills," Mr. Lister said.

Mr. Lister congratulated the men for "their diligence and achievement" and "while we hope that members of the Regiment never have to use the skills, in Fabian type circumstances, it is very gratifying and reassuring that the Bermuda Regiment...is now better equipped to serve us in the future", he said.

The NTB had tree expert Fiona Doe train the soldiers. They all received National Proficiency Tests Council (NPTC) Certificates of Competence from the UK but "it is intended that the recipients will train other soldiers as part of the Regiment's preparedness to handle natural disasters," Mr. Lister said.

Recipients of the NPTC certificates in Chainsaw and Related Operations Level 2 were: Warrant Officer Graham Benjamin and Dwight Robinson, Colour Sergeants Rupert Lambert, Gavin Lee, Jason Harrell, Luis Pereira, Gavin Rayner and James Raynor, Sergeant Chauncey Durham and Corporal Robert Ricketts.

The NTB and the Bermuda Regiment began their partnership in January 2003 to develop the technical skills of soldiers in the Regiment.

Mr. Lister said that everyone in the Regiment receives "preferential consideration as applications for all NTB programmes."

"Services to the Regiment include: technical career advice, training planning, technical courses, college placement assistance and training funding," he said.

Fourteen people in the army are presently being assisted with job placement, funding and training assistance, he said.

These soldiers are being training for diverse careers including: architectural technology, music education, culinary arts, business, welding, masonry, electronics, motorcycle technology and computer information systems technology.

"It is desirous and anticipated that the NTB and the Regiment will continue to work together co-operatively," Mr. Lister said.