Profiles of Royal Bermuda Regiment members highlight the value the regiment offers to the wider community.

Lieutenant Corrie Cross and Corporal Azar Morrissey feature in the latest round of videos released on YouTube and social media as part of a recruitment drive to inspire the next crop of recruits in February.

Lieutenant Cross, 24, said in her video that she saw the RBR as “an opportunity to give back to the community”.

She added: “It’s also a way for me to connect to a lot of the Bermudian history that I wasn’t already taught.”

Lieutenant Cross, a claims analyst at RenaissanceRe during the day, told the RBR that it was important for the public to see the diversity of the regiment.

She added that her time in the regiment had opened her up to a wide range of opportunities, from helping with community concerns to travelling the world.

Lieutenant Cross said off camera: “I’ve had a lot of great opportunities to travel and represent Bermuda — for example, going to the King’s Coronation and marching with the regiment was a highlight of my career so far.

“That’s something that I constantly hear about, and it’s such a good feeling to know that I was able to be a part of that and to put Bermuda on the international stage in that way.”

She added: “On a smaller scale, doing things like helping with marshalling at a road race, or if there is a hurricane, being there to help cut down trees and direct people to a safer area — those types of things are what really matter.

“Ultimately, promoting a safe and healthy community within Bermuda is something that I think is really important.”

Lieutenant Cross, from Pembroke, joined the regiment in February 2021 and soon went on to the officers’ commissioning course at the Royal Military College at Sandhurst.

She said: “Now that I’ve done it, I could say ‘that was easy’ but at the time it felt like it was a never-ending battle.

“Just pushing myself through the limits is something that I was most proud of.”

Lieutenant Cross said she was concerned about the misconceptions that people have about the RBR, and reminded the public that there was plenty of space for women in the service.

She said: “There are so many facets of who you are as a person, and there are so many facets to what the regiment has to offer and how you could be utilised there, so I would say don’t minimise it to what you assume it might be and just give it a try.”

Corporal Morrissey joined the RBR as a junior musician when he was 17, and is a member of B Company and the regiment’s Band and Corps of Drums.

The 23-year-old, a saxophonist, said: “I enjoy the joy and happiness we provide to the wider community of Bermuda. It feels like something of an accomplishment.

“People want to know when we’re playing next, because they want to see us.

“Everybody listens to music. It brings everybody joy, but not everybody can provide that service.

“We’re willing to teach people, so even if you don’t know anything and are curious, come and check us out.”

Corporal Morrissey, a BAC warehouse worker from Sandys, highlighted how the regiment can help its members in their civilian-life employment.

He said: “You meet people who come from different backgrounds, so they assist you. For example, if you’re struggling and they know of job opportunities, they will help get you to the interview and sometimes they will actually prepare you, so they’re looking out for you.

“It’s a huge network within the regiment.”

Corporal Morrissey added: “The regiment provides you with an extra source of income.

“It provides you with a sense of self-belief and encouragement within yourself, and helps with team bonding, which are good qualities that a civilian employer would look for.

“Joining the regiment means you have an opportunity to see different parts of the world, have great experiences and you will learn new things.”

• The RBR’s next recruit training package will run from February 11 to 23. All legal residents aged 18 to 52 are encouraged to apply