Military exercise begins at Jungle Warfare School

Achiase (Eastern Region) --- The Ghana Armed Forces (GAF), on Wednesday started a four-day jungle exercise, code-named "Exercise Tigers' Path 2001" at the Jungle Warfare School (JWS) at Achiase in the Birim South District in the Eastern Region.

The various units of the GAF are taking part in the exercise, aimed at sharpening their skills in combat readiness and survival, physical endurance, patrolling and long-range navigational skills.

It would also test participants in first aid, attack and ambush, obstacle crossing and marksmanship.

The Military Academy and Training School (MATS), under the command of its Commandant, Rear Admiral Jonathan Adoko, is organising the exercise with the support of JWS.

Participating teams are the Navy, the Army, Air Force and the Northern and Southern Commands, with three officers and 31 men from each team. The Northern Command is the defending champion.

The teams would navigate a 28-kilometre route through the jungle and Umpires would follow them to award marks for excellence.

The exercise began at 6.30 am from Akyem Essam in the Birim North District from where the groups would navigate a 17-kolometre route through the jungle across the River Birim.

The teams would undertake an attack at dawn on Thursday on an imaginary camp of enemies and continue navigating the remaining 11 kilometres to the JWS.

The exercise is based on politics where a new government, after assuming office, ordered that illegal diamond wining should be stopped in the Birim North and South Districts.

A militant group, Diamond Fire Boys (DFBs), opposed the directive, set up base training camps in the jungle and entice the local people with food and other logistics to join their fold.

In order to go about with their nefarious activities, the DFBs made up of 50, try to terrorise the people at Adwobue, Gyadem and surrounding villages and abduct the Assemblyman for Adwobue and some unknown assailants and destroy a vehicle for the District Chief Executive (DCE) for Birim South.

The National Security Council tasks the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) to take the necessary action to restore calm in the affected districts.

The CDS then forms a "Task Force Tiger" to search and destroy the DFBs.

The Deputy Commandant for the exercise, Major Benjamin Owusu-Frimpong told the press that the scenario was intended to test the skills of the GAF in jungle warfare and counter insurgency.