Bermuda Regiment's newest recruits were put through their paces yesterday in front of Premier Ewart Brown.

Dr. Brown visited Warwick Camp with Attorney General Kim Wilson and Education Minister El James to see how the 175 new soldiers were faring after 24 hours at "boot camp".

The politicians were given a tour of the camp by Commanding Officer Lt. Col. William White and watched the newcomers undergo rifle lessons and take part in a drill.

Sen. Wilson said it was the first time she had been to the camp and was impressed with what she saw during the inspection

"I was pleasantly surprised to see that the majority of them seemed to be quite fit and there were a number of women keeping pace."

The annual recruit camp runs until January 25 and is aimed at giving Regiment recruits basic soldiering and ceremonial drill skills.

Captain Kenji Bean said: "It's going very well so far. They seem to be enjoying themselves and we haven't had any incidents."

He could not provide a figure for the number of "no shows" this year for the camp, which is mandatory for those called up to serve.