Defence Minister visits Cadet Winter Camp in Delnice
The Croatian Defence Minister, Mr. Ante Kotromanović. the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Croatia, Lt. Gen. Drago Lovrić and the Director of the Croatian Defence Academy, Lt. Gen. Slavko Barić visited today, 6 March 2013 the attendees of the Croatian Armed Forces Cadet Winter Camp ongoing in the „Drgomalj“ Barracks in Delnice since 25 February 2013.
They were welcomed by the Commander of the Special Operations Battalion, Lt.Col. Dražen Ressler, who acquainted the them with the training conducted so far and in the remaining days.
The attendees of the Course, which is ending on 8 March, under the mentorship and supervision of the instructors of the Special Operations Battalion’s have been mastering the basic winter-time survival skills and techniques, including weapons familiarisation, shooting practice, topography and geography, mountain facts and first aid procedures. So far, 34 of them have successfully completed the 7-hour marching in snowshoes and in full gear, practicing setting up improvised shelters and infantry tactics in winter conditions, alpinism and night-time reconnaissance.
«This is an out-door training, with over 70% of the curriculum conducted in a realistic environment, which also serves to encourage the cadets to take on leader role and responsibility and to conduct some of the stages of the training autonomously», said 1st Lt. Renato Žic, explaining the purpose and the methodology of the Camp.
The visit to the Winter Camp was scheduled at its most challenging point – the 36-hour staying outdoors under the extreme mountain conditions included the ambush exercise, demonstrating the ambush escaping procedures, winter-time survival and shelter set up.
The Minister addressed the attendees by saying «Tomorrow you could find yourselves in the situation of leading the unit in the conditions of the kind, and your soldiers’ lives will depend on your preparedness and skillfulnes. It is therefore essential for you to learn and acquire the necessary skills now and to endeavour to be the best».
The Chief of the General Staff said, extending his regards to the cadets, that more training events of the kind would follow in the time ahead, with numerous and even more challenging tasks.