success by top officers from the Island and the UK.

High-ranking soldiers were trained in command skills and a security exercise brought together senior officers from the Police and Fire Services and the Regiment to train for civil disturbances.

Lt. Col. Peter Holme headed the three-strong UK team running the new-style senior commanders' course and internal security exercise.

He said: "This is the first time we have run a course like this in Bermuda and I think it's been a great success.'' Lt. Col. Holme -- from the UK army's School of Infantry at Warminster -- said Regiment officers normally travelled to England for courses but that was expensive.

He said: "The Commanding Officer here, in consultation with Government, really decided they wanted to run a course in Bermuda because it is pretty expensive to send people to the UK.

"It's cheaper and we can adapt the course to what is required here, which is what has happened.'' The course was set up through Regiment Staff Officer Major Rupert Lucas, who is on detachment from the Regiment's sister force, the Royal Anglians.

Lt. Col. Holme backed joint exercises involving all the emergency services on the Island.

He said: "I think they've realised that there is great merit in getting together like this.

"They do get together at this level on a number of occasions but there's very little knowledge down at junior officer level. We suggested a few study days to develop a few ideas.'' The course and exercise, which ran over several days, brought teams from all three services together to deal with an outbreak of Bosnia-style ethnic violence in the made-up Kingdom of Camelot.

The teams had to deal with a variety of problems thrown at them by the exercise organisers, which also included Royal Marines Major Matthew Cawthorne and Royal Engineers Major Jonathan Passmore, and come up with ways to protect the community effectively.

And Lt. Col. Holme -- who once commanded a part-time Territorial Army battalion in the UK -- praised the Regiment team's work.

He said: "They have a very strong corps of officers here and they're good guys. I was most impressed.

"There is a reasonable depth of knowledge. They lack experience in some areas, but they're very willing to acknowledge that.'' He said the Police and Fire Service contributed to the exercise and boosted their appreciation of the problems facing the part-time Bermuda defence force.

Lt. Col. Holme said: "They came in with absolutely no military knowledge, which was wonderful, but I think they are beginning to realise why it might take so long for the Regiment to come out.'' Bermuda Regiment Commanding Officer Lt. Col. Patrick Outerbridge -- due to hand over command to Major David Gibbons soon -- said he hoped the new training structure would continue.

He said: "We came up with this idea a year ago and we never dreamed we would get a team with the skill and qualifications we got from the School of Infantry.

"And what's really good about it is our fellow officers from the Police and Fire Service took part as well.'' Lt. Col. Outerbridge added: "With our limited budget, it's expensive to send officers away on courses. We will still do that, but this a way of getting officers to conduct a course for us which is also relevant to Bermuda.'' And he said: "Our Staff Officer did all the legwork and we're very grateful.

I'm hoping we can now have joint training which takes it down to platoon commanders.'' On the spot: Bermuda Regiment Major Brian Gonsalves (centre) justifies his position during a joint services' security training exercise held at Warwick Camp. He is watched by course chief Lt. Col. Peter Holme from the British Army's infantry training school (left), Regiment Capt. Wayne Smith (right) and Police Chief Insp. Roger Kendall (far right).