Beaches in West Bay and East End were transformed into training camps for the Cayman Islands Regiment over the past week.
The regiment was taking part in several days of exercises across Grand Cayman, aimed to prepare them for being deployed with enough kit to enable them to survive for up to 48 hours.
A series of three extensive training exercises began in December last year, continued in April, and culminated in the most recent exercise this month.
The regiment invited the media along to Barefoot Beach on Friday, 24 June, to see its reservists in action.
“It is a nine-day exercise and it is designed to test the men and women living outside, in tentage and personal shelters, without air-conditioning, not a lot of power, to really prepare them in the event that they have to deploy by aircraft to the Sister Islands,” Commanding Officer Lieutenant Colonel Simon Watson said.
He added, “It’s an opportunity for the men and women of the regiment to work together as a team under pretty difficult conditions. When we started camping, it was in torrential rain… for the first two or three days, and the ground was very wet at Ed Bush Stadium in West Bay. So, we had that opportunity to have that training area, as well as Barkers… It’s important that we can cover the entire of Grand Cayman and prepare for the Sister Islands as well.”
On Friday morning, the reservists were driven in a convoy of trucks before being dropped 5km away from Barefoot Beach. With each carrying 55 pounds of kit on their backs, they marched from the drop-off point to the beach.
Watson said the march, which took them just over 50 minutes, gave the team “a really good understanding of how they can move from point A to point B without vehicle support”, and he admitted that “it was tough”.
Captain Gabe Rabess, who is in charge of physical training for the regiment, explained that prior to the 5K run and the exercise in East End, the regiment team had trained at the Ed Bush Stadium in West Bay, gradually increasing the amount of weight they were carrying in their packs, before setting up their tents and shelters at Barkers for a couple of days.
“CIR personnel received training on preparing personal shelter, how to cook meals using ration packs, and clearing the camp area after setup to ensure limited exposure and risks to the environment from hazards such as fires. They also received training on personal hygiene, hand signals, and casualty evacuation simulations,” Rabess said.
For Friday’s march, in their kit bags, the reservists were carrying food, water, spare clothes, waterproof clothing and all the tools they need to set up camp and survive outdoors for 24-48 hours, in all weather systems. Once they arrived at the beach, they stayed there for 24 hours, before beginning another day of training on Saturday.
Commanding Officer Watson said such training was important as the regiment must be prepared to work with Hazard Management and uniformed services to deal with emergencies or disasters, whether it’s a hurricane, earthquake, fire or a pandemic-related issue, because “we could be needed at any time”.
“When there is something that overwhelms [the emergency services] or threatens to overwhelm them, we have a reserve force that can step in [and do] whatever it needs to do,” he said. “To do that, you have to be quite resilient in terms of training because you don’t really know what you’re training for.
“You can prepare for different scenarios, you know there’s a likelihood of hurricanes, … of potential earthquakes and tsunamis; there are scenarios you can train for. We are developing men and women who can think on their feet and be prepared, so that whatever situation you have, they can respond to it.”
In their training, the regiment has been working with other uniformed services, including the Emergency Medical Services, Royal Cayman Islands Police Service, Cayman Islands Coast Guard and Cayman Islands Fire Service, as well as Hazard Management.
They also found time to take part in a beach clean-up at Barefoot Beach over the weekend with Plastic Free Cayman.
Trooper Ben Ebanks Jr. described the training exercises, and his time in the regiment, as “the best worst experience I’ve ever had”, adding, “It’s forced me to grow so much. It’s incredible.”
Speaking to media following Friday morning’s 5K march, he said, “I’ve learned to be a lot tougher, mentally, because a lot of the times when you feel your body is about to give up, that’s all in your head, and if you’re just willing to soldier on, you can surprise yourself.
“We actually surprised ourselves this morning with our march because we had to march quite a fair bit to get here, and I was quite pleased with my mental fortitude in being able to get here.”
Lance Corporal Jerad Ebanks, who was also among those taking part in the nine-day exercise, said there were “a few blisters” after the 5K march, but that “everyone is feeling good”.
Asked if he would encourage fellow Caymanians to join the regiment, he said he would urge anyone who “thinks they have what it takes” to sign up.
“It’s worth your time,” he said.
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