”The entire country depends on you,“ newly passed out marine soldiers told

The UPDF chief of Training and Recruitment, Brig Gen Mathew Gureme has charged the newly passed out marine soldiers to use their skills to protect the lives of Ugandans.

Gureme made the remarks while presiding over the pass out ceremony of 65 marines at Kalangalo Marine Training School on the shores of Lake Victoria in Entebbe.

“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, Gureme urged fresh marines to consider their recruitment 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 of 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,” Nyarwa reiterated.

These according to him 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 of 70 trainees that reported on May 23, 2022 for a six-month course in Maritime Basic Training, five trainees did not make it to the end of the course for various reasons, 65 trainees, 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,” Turigye explained.