Major General Lawrence Gbetanu, the Chief of Army Staff, said the military was up to the task, and would not take chances in dealing with existential threats.
“The Military High Command’s commitment to this venture is unwavering,” he assured, while addressing the 15th edition of Exercise Tigers’ Path, a biennial tri-service competition, which forms part of the Armed Forces continuous training programme, at the Akim-Achiase Jungle Warfare School (JWS) in the Eastern Region.
The scope of this year’s Exercise covered tactical drills, including battle procedure, first aid, tactical casualty evacuation, improvised river crossing drills, platoon administration and offensive operations in the jungle.
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Others were helicopter vectoring and marshalling drills, marksmanship, physical fitness, endurance, confidence building and patrolling techniques.
Since its official opening on November 2, 1976, the JWS, under the operational and administrative control of the Army Training Command, has, over the years, gained international reputation as a centre of excellence in jungle warfare training.
The JWS’ prominence has become more visible in recent times, particularly at a time when the sub-Region is seeing an upsurge in insurgencies, irregular warfare, violent extremism and terrorism.
Some four million people are currently displaced across Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, and neighbouring countries, due to insurgencies and terrorism-related incursions, according to the United Nations (UN).
The International Organisation for Migration’s data shows the number of migrants arriving in Europe from the Sahelian countries rose 62 per cent to 17, 300 in the first six months of 2024, from 10, 700 a year earlier, an increase the UN and IOM blamed on insurgencies.
Major Gen. Gbetanu described the security threats confronting the sub-region as unpredictable, demanding superior military skills and tactical prowess to overcome them.
