PNGDF officers participate in special exercise

National, Normal
Source:

The National, Monday 6th May 2013

By PISAI GUMAR

EXERCISE train soldier (ETS) with the aim to promote competitive activity and boost morale for officer cadets and engineer battalion soldiers was declared a success at Igam barracks outside Lae, Morobe.

Four sections from in-country commissioners’ course comprising 36 officer cadets and two sections from the engineer battalion’s bravo company, all in full military gear, underwent the ETS, tackled seven obstacles with various activities within a 12km zone.

In the group were five female officers who took the challenge and struggled to the end.

The chain of activities included first aid, how to attend to casualties, stretcher carrying, stripping and assembling of weapon blindfolded, marching or pacing while under fatigue situation, navigation (putting map to ground) while out in jungle, obstacle challenges such as crawling, climbing, using rope to get over and pushing and pulling ammunitions to the firing range and shooting targets.

Senior instructor Capt Velmoore Kagena said after eight weeks of training, the cadet soldiers were tested physically and mentally to ensure they worked as a team.

“It was aimed at completing the activities in quickest time possible without losing a member of the section and completing the activity correctly,” Kagena said.

“That was to ensure they demonstrate leadership physically and mentally during demanding situations, test stamina and endurance, promote team work within sections and test soldiering skills.”

Among the 36 officer cadets, 10 were selected for further training in Australia and New Zealand. 

The selected officers travelled at the weekend.