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THE ARMED SERVICES

In addition, a women's troop provides support in internal security and anti-illegal immigration operations as searchers and interpreters. There is also a junior leaders' corps of 300 boys, aged from 14 to 17, trained in youth activities and leadership. As part of the youth activities geared to the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme, a junior leaders' band was formed in 1984 to give performances at youth functions.

The Regimental Headquarters is located in the busy residential area of Happy Valley on Hong Kong Island, where the volunteers have been based since 1950. The regiment does not have a training camp of its own and has to share the training facilities of the British Army in Hong Kong.

The training commitment is two evenings and one weekend each month as well as centrally organised regimental training, such as regimental camps and exercises. Regimen- tal camps, the highlights of the year's training, take place over seven days each in April and November. For the November camp, the regiment is deployed on the border to relieve a regular battalion of its anti-illegal immigration duties.

In July the regiment took responsibility for the administration of over 2 000 Vietnamese boat people detained on passenger ferries moored in Victoria Harbour. This was a short-term commitment to assist the hard-pressed voluntary agencies.

During the year, selected volunteers were sent for training in the United Kingdom. All officer cadets are trained at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst.

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