with the aftermath of disasters as part of a change of direction prompted by an external review.

Deputy Governor Tim Gurney said that, instead of spending so much time learning how to assist Police and deal with riot situations, soldiers may now also be trained in dealing with both natural and man-made disasters.

They could be called into action to help civil powers deal with such disasters as plane crashes, ship wrecks, major oil spills and hurricanes.

The Royal Gazette has reported how the whole structure of the Regiment could be changed if the review, carried out by top Army brass in the UK, is accepted by Commander-in-Chief Governor Thorold Masefield and Government.

The precise contents of the secret probe have yet to be released to Commanding Officer of the Regiment Lieutenant Colonel David Gibbons.

He said yesterday that he would be unable to determine what training and staffing requirements the Regiment needed until he knew exactly what direction it was going in.

The Regiment is normally assisted with training by an Army Major and two Warrant Officers from the UK, along with a Warrant Officer from Jamaica.

By the end of August, the officer from Jamaica and one from Britain will have come to the end of their contracts, but it has not yet been decided if, or when, they will be replaced.

Lt. Col. Gibbons said: "If the review points us in the direction where we need two people similarly qualified to replace them, then we will make sure we have the necessary staff implemented.

"But I have not seen the review yet, so I have to wait to see what our requirements will be. It may be that we need to bring in other people with different skills to assist us with whatever training we need.

"I know Government and Government House are discussing the review at the moment and I believe it is being treated as a priority, so I may hear fairly soon.'' He denied that the posts were being permanently axed to make way for budget cuts.

Mr. Gurney said the Governor would decide what the requirements of the Regiment would be, but it was ultimately down to Lt. Col. Gibbons to use his budget and staff in such a way to ensure they were followed through.

He added: "There will still be riot training, but there may also be other training added.

"A decision will have to be taken on whether the Warrant Officer posts will be filled again and whether their types of skills are still required.

"It will save a little bit of money while we are hanging on to see, but it has not come about because of budget cuts.'' The Royal Gazette has reported that other changes could be made following acceptance of the review, including scaling down the ranks to make a smaller Regiment, but with more full-timers.

The current three-year plus conscription period is also likely to be cut -- probably to two years.

And a greater sea-going role for the Regiment, which was signalled last year, is also likely in a bid to plug the gaps in Bermuda's marine rescue and drug-busting role.