The Entire Country Depends On You; Brig Gen Gureme Tells Marines Soldiers

The UPDF Marines has passed out 65 marines at Kalangalo Marine Training School on the shores of Lake Victoria in Entebbe.

Presiding over the pass out ceremony in Maritime Basic Induction Course the Chief of Training and Recruitment Brig Gen Mathew Gureme stated that the lives of all people in Uganda depend on the skills such as those attained by the graduating trainees. “The marine brigade is entrusted with safeguarding all the water bodies in the country and the security of the people travelling on the water lies on them. In case of emergencies on the water it’s the marines. They are also responsible for the protection of VIPs,” he said.

Quoting a Chinese proverb that; when planning for a year plant maize, when planning for a decade plant a tree but when planning for the life of the people invest in the education of the people.

 

Gen Gureme urged fresh marines to consider this as the beginning of many other courses ahead of them.

 

The Chief guest further advised the marines to walk out of the school gates with their heads high; with the highest possible degree of personal integrity. He entreated the graduands to always maintain high moral standards and strive to always keep in top health; guarding themselves especially against HIV/AIDS and the prevailing and emerging epidemics and pandemics. He commended the marines for flying Uganda’s National Flag high both here in Uganda and in Somalia.

 

On his part, Brig Micheal Nyarwa the Commander Marines congratulated the graduands for finally making it to the end of such an intensive course. “Whereas the trainees of this intake regretted and cursed who had brought them and why they had joined marines during their first weeks of water survival training, they are now happy to finally graduate after their basic training course. The UPDF does appreciate their decision of joining the UPDF Marine Brigade. The fears they had at the start of the course are only natural and we knew, as it has indeed come true, they would overcome those fears,” Brig Nyarwa reiterated.

He recounted that the trainees had been taken through an intensive training and were assessed in different fields as outlined on the course curriculum. These included combat swimming, small boat handling skills, marine navigation, leadership training, maritime operations and tactics, boat and engine maintenance. Others were marine and fisheries laws, military law, marine communication, map using among others.

The Commandant of the school Lt Col David Turigye Kalarira reported that 70 trainees reported on 23 May 2022 for a six-month course in Maritime Basic Training. 05 trainees did not make it to the end of the course for various reasons. 65 trainees 05 (five) of whom were female, exhibited high levels of discipline and hard work and have managed to reach their pass out date. “It goes without saying that the students who were taken through the mills, have come out refined and ready to serve the marines’ brigade. They abided by the requirements of marine core values i.e., exceptional discipline, team work and loyalty alongside some NRA revolutionary principles like patriotism and extraordinary commitment to our motherland and all our people,” Lt Cl Turigye explained.

 

Pte Lwanga Thomas emerged the overall best student, Pte Kule Moses best in leadership, Pte Opito Walter best in Academics, Pte Kabenge Joseph best in swimming. Pte Okiria Jackson was the most improved trainee and Pte Chepkwurui Shedrack, the most disciplined.

Other UPDF senior officers who graced the function included Lt Col Wilson Musinguzi the Brigade Admin officer, Lt Col Benon Namanya CO 40 Battalion and Maj Eriabu Mubangizi the brigade intelligence officer.