In a bid to combat the real-life operations, the Army has adopted new methods to train soldiers who are deployed in Kashmir valley. The 15 Corps Battle School in Srinagar has been engaged in imparting training to soldiers from across the country in counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism.
The training has been made mandatory for all the troops who get posted to Kashmir valley. They undergo a rigorous training course at the battle school, where they learn skills that are imperative for the local terrain.
Lieutenant colonel Dipanker Bose, in charge of Corps Battle School, said that troops from across the country are trained at their school, where their physical and mental robustness is tested and they are also taught the rules of engagement.
“This school trains all the troops who get deployed to the 15 Corps zone. It is mandatory for everyone. We train troops from pan-India on their physical and mental robustness. They are also trained on human rights and the armed forces special powers act (AFSPA). We give them a clear picture of the things they are supposed to do and what they are not supposed to do,” Lt. Col Bose.
Further talking about the training programme, Lieutenant colonel said, “We divide the training programme into two parts. We teach them the history of Jammu and Kashmir: what led to the current situation and what is the current situation. We also teach them how to use force and power, keeping the humans’ rights and AFSPA in mind.”
Amritpal Singh, who is a trainee at the camp, said that the training is designed in such a way that the upper body and lower body of the trainee remain engaged.
“The obstacles are designed in such a way that the upper body and lower body of the trainee remain engaged. There are a total of 17 obstacles in this course which is 900 metres long. Every trainee has to complete this course within 12 minutes. This course enhances the team spirit and inculcates leadership qualities in the trainees,” Singh said.
Corps Battle School, primarily provides units and sub units an apt environment to train their rank and file by way of providing well qualified instructors and modern training infrastructure to train the trainees.
The School conducts the training activities under the watchful eye and supervision of its qualified instructors, for units and advance parities, some of which are
(a) Lecture/ Demonstration of Battle Craft / Field Craft and Battle Drills and other military subjects of the approved syllabus.
(b) Tactical Exercises.
(c) Case studies on operational related subjects of Corps Zone.
(d) Training movies.
(e) Innovative firing practices to incl Jungle Lane Shooting, Room Interventiion drills etc.
(f) Lectures by Guest speakers on important related subjects.One of the areas of impetus in the school is the training imparted in counter IED operations.
Harjeet Singh, who is one of the instructors extolled the benefits of this course, stating that we train the soldiers in various scenarios that the soldiers may face in real-life operations.
“Information is imparted to the trainees about the Cordon and Search operations. Aside from this, we train the soldiers in various scenarios that they may face in real-life operations. We also give them practical details about the rule of engagement,” Harjeet said.
