By Noela EBOB BISONG
Over 900 soldiers of the Rapid Intervention Battalion BIR and other arms of the Cameroon Defence Forces have completed training courses to improve their performance on the field. A ceremony to send off the soldiers took place at the BIR Base in Man O’ War Bay, Limbe III subdivision on November 12, 2024, chaired by Commander of Military Schools and Training Centres in Cameroon, Major General Phillipe Mpay.
The brief ceremony in strict military style witnessed the presentation of the two trainings, the proclamation of results for the first five trainees, handing of certificates and notes of congratulations, culminating in a military march pass.
A total of 680 trainees earned the Certificate of Technical Aptitude No. 2 while 233 bagged the Certificate of Technical Aptitude No. 3. The two trainings are said to have focused on tactics, techniques and pedagogy for professional operations.
Presenting the training programme, Lt. Colonel Oumarou Tapele – Commander of the BIR Commando Training Centre, praised the soldiers for their courage and conviction. He used the occasion to thank the BIR Base for providing professional training of soldiers, and pledged their zeal to ensure professionalism in their duty towards the state and its population.
“The main target of the courses was to give the trainees the ability to be in charge of a group in the battle field. The challenge today is not just to show them how to fight in the field, but to give them ability to understand the new version of security”, he said.
While urging the soldiers to be proud of what they have acquired, Lt. Colonel Tapele told them not to sleep on their laurels, but that they should put every skill to use, since the training is meant to guide them all through their career.
“Today, we are proud because these soldiers that we are sending on the field, we have empowered them not only about fighting abilities but also to communicate and understand their environment. We also taught them the rule of law; how to operate with the population”, Lt. Colonel Tapele.
“Work hand in hand with the population because the army is meant to give confidence to the population so that they go about their activities without any security issues”, he told the soldiers.
Staff sergeant, Ekoe Ossende who was first of his class in the training to obtain the Certificate of Technical Aptitude No. 2 told the press that, “First of all, I will like to thank the hierarchy for giving me the opportunity to be part of this training. I think what made me to stand out at the end was discipline and my fellow comrades stood by me. I am first of my class but it’s a group effort because here we learn to be team leaders, so, a team leader is nothing without his team”, he said.
Caporal Nenwola Gaston, who also excelled in the Joint Army Technical Aptitude training No. 3 reacted to the press that, “We spent five months during the training which wasn’t an easy one; we were taught many things during this period and it permitted me to acquire skills to be a team leader as well as to lend support to my superior during operations. We were also impacted with much discipline especially on international humanitarian law which makes us to understand that on the field, the soldier cannot just do as he likes, there are laid down standards to operate on. I am grateful to BIR for this training and confidence”.
The results were proclaimed by Captain B. Pahimi, director in-charge of land training/BIR Commando Training Center, under the watchful eyes of the representative of the Divisional Officer of Limbe III, Assistant DO, Kognou Kevin, who gave a handshake of congratulation to the soldiers at the close of the event.