The School of Paratroopers and Special Forces (Escpar and Fes) of the Special Operations Brigade (BOE) Lautaro of the Chilean Army graduated a new generation of Comandos prepared to perform special operations under any atmospheric condition and geographical scenario.
According to the institution, the selected students underwent demanding tests to pass the Commando Course 2022 and thus have a high standard in Special Warfare and Non-Warfare Operations.
As Infodefensa.com reported, the course lasted 22 weeks and included seven modules and exercises in which the students tested their mettle and endurance in scenarios such as snowy terrain, forests, coast, desert, and the highlands of northern Chile.
In the advanced module, the participants were trained in handling amphibious, aerial and mountainous terrain insertion means.
Then in the final module, they faced simulated situations in different geographical scenarios of the country, putting into practice everything they had learned.
The Program for the Strengthening of Commando Skills was also carried out to form the attitudinal core since these specialists must be characterized by their fortitude, temperance, self-sacrifice, and esprit de corps.
ELITE SOLDIERS
The students faced the harshness and complexity of the national geography during the FTX North exercise.
The instructor of the Commando Course, 1st Sergeant Alejandro Zavala, described this area as “one of the most inhospitable places in our country, such as the altiplano and at more than 4,500 meters above sea level”.
Sergeant Zavala pointed out that the students in this exercise “had to carry out operations in the Tamarugal pampas, where they had to know how to adapt to the low temperatures of -15°C at night, as well as the high temperatures during the day and the difficulties typical of the Chilean desert”.
One of the students of this class said that the “Commando Course provides tools to become an elite soldier of the Army, in addition to reinforcing characteristics such as teamwork, loyalty, selflessness, and resilience, thus polishing our physical, cognitive, and psychological abilities during the course”.
The head of the 2022 Commando Course, Captain Fernando Martinez, indicated that he feels, together with his team of instructors, the satisfaction of having fulfilled his duty by delivering to the Chilean Army a new generation of Commandos.
“I feel satisfied to have accomplished the mission, taking the students to their maximum capabilities, to be rigorous in their training and to reach the graduation standards that the Parachute School establishes(…) A commando is prepared to conquer and fulfill the mission entrusted, this being the premise and the basis of his conviction, dedication added to an enormous love for the homeland”, expressed Captain Martinez.
ONLY THE BEST
The Comandos of the Chilean Army are specialists in various tactics and advanced combat techniques and can operate day and night in all types of terrain and environments under adverse weather conditions.
The origin of the Commando secondary specialty dates back to 1962 when the first Commando Course was held in the country at the Infantry School, with the assistance of personnel from the Rangers and Special Forces of the United States Army.
These special forces operators receive special instruction, training, and equipment and are experts in using land, sea, air, or a combination to infiltrate a given area and achieve their objectives.
Escpar and Fes tactically and technically train the commandos to execute special operations deep into the adversary device.
Their training and equipment allow them to execute joint and combined operations using conventional or improvised elements.
In their preparation, special attention is paid to handling explosives, advanced weaponry, and survival so that they can be deployed in any geographical area and act in the most challenging scenarios required by modern warfare.
With information from InfoDefensa