The Bermuda Regiment is an existing and affordable solution to rising anti-social behaviour, according to Commanding Officer Brian Gonsalves.Speaking at the Passing Out ceremony at the close of the 2011 Recruit Camp, Lt Col Gonsalves stressed that the Regiment offers recruits a number of opportunities, while instilling self-discipline.“Mr Michael Dunkley last week suggested the Regiment should teach our soldiers more than just shooting,” he said. “Well, the Regiment provides leadership training and tangible opportunities to develop self discipline, self pride, confidence, responsibility, commitment and a sense of accomplishment“The Regiment provides hands-on technical skills training from radio signals communications to medical to truck driving to inventory management to culinary skills to boat patrol. The list is endless.“All these skills I just mentioned are free, and the benefits to soldiers, employers, families, neighbourhoods and the Country are priceless.”Lt Col Gonsalves noted that this year’s recruit camp had more volunteers than it had in decades, with 36 of the 162 recruits volunteering to serve, including nine women.“Two weeks ago more than 150 recruits came through those gates, some willingly, and some not so willingly,” Lt Col Gonsalves said.“Some of them ran, some of them walked. Some of them were punctual, some of them were late. Today, every one of them runs, and every one of them is punctual.”He said Regiment service provided numerous benefits to both the recruits and to the community, saying: “This institution is an existing, valid and inexpensive solution to reduce the anti-social behavior that has become prevalent across this Island.”Governor Sir Richard Gozney presented the recruits with numerous awards while their friends and families looked on, including best section to Section 5 and best platoon to 7 Platoon.He congratulated all the recruits for their efforts, pointing out that in the annual plate-shooting competition, the winning section of recruits actually out-shot the police team.“I shall not ask if any of you have had experience shooting before you came here,” he joked.He said that all of the recruits had gained not only the ability to fire weapons, but improved self-discipline and the opportunity to work alongside those who they otherwise might never have met.“You worked in teams in ways you couldn’t have imagined before you came through those gates, and working in teams with Bermudians you didn’t know before, hadn’t set eyes on, and knew nothing about,” the Governor said.“You worked in teams of people you could not imagine, you gained personal discipline, and you learned how to shoot. Now let’s see what happens in the rest of your three years.”