club to raise $3,500 for Bermuda's hospice for the terminally ill, it was revealed yesterday.

And now the Regiment is to consider buying paintball guns as a realistic training aid for the troops.

Regiment adjutant Captain Larry Mussenden said that the Indiana-based Rockpile Paintball Club offered to show off their weapons -- which blast a paintball up to 75 metres -- to the Regiment.

The club have visited the Island before on group holidays and this year contacted the Regiment to see if they were interested in trying out the club's equipment.

Capt. Mussenden said the guns were evaluated last week and on Thursday and Friday members of the public got the chance to hire the high-powered rifle-style paintball guns at the Regiment training area.

He said: "We raised $3,500 for Agape House and on Saturday, the men used the guns on the outdoor shooting range and the computerised indoor range.'' Capt. Mussenden added the soldiers also practised war games in teams armed with paintball guns.

He said: "We were impressed with the equipment -- most of the time in training we use live rounds on the ranges and blank ones for exercises.

"With the paintball we get the best of both worlds -- you can actually get hit, so the soldiers have an extra incentive to use all their field skills.

"The soldiers enjoy it and it adds realism to training. But the commanding officer will have to consider whether or not it's something we would be interested in using as a training tool.''