Niël Tebrlanché
The ninth intake of recruits for the Marines of the Namibian Navy started with training earlier this week.
The Commandant of Naval Training School (NTS), Navy Captain Fanuel Iiyambo officiated the opening ceremony of the Marine Recruit Formation Training in Walvis Bay on Monday.
The course consists of 73 recruits and is scheduled to run until July 2024.
In his speech, the commandant said that the objective of the course is to train, transform and qualify the recruits as Marine soldiers, as directed by Navy Commander (NC) directives 2023.
“During basic training, you will learn teamwork, discipline, rappel, weapon handling, swimming and drill,” the captain said.
He added that marines are trained to improvise, adapt, overcome all obstacles, and possess the willingness and the determination to fight until victory is assured.
The Namibian Marine Corps was officially established on July 22, 2016.
The establishment of the Marine Corps was a significant development in the capabilities of the Namibian Defence Force. The corps serves as the naval infantry of Namibia and plays a crucial role in providing amphibious infantry, diving, and small boat fighting capabilities to the Navy.
The Namibian Navy, with around 1,200 personnel, has been instrumental in safeguarding Namibia’s maritime interests and has received significant training support from countries like Brazil and South Africa.
For the recruits of the ninth intake of the Namibian Marines, this historical context underlines the importance of their training and the legacy they are joining because they are a critical component of Namibia’s defence and security architecture, especially in maritime operations. The recruits will be trained at the Naval Training School near Walvis Bay, where they will acquire skills in amphibious warfare, diving, and various other naval operations. Captain Iiyambo said that upon completion of the course, the recruits will be able to perform basic tasks amphibious skills of physical ability drill and ceremony, marksmanship, confidence, personal grooming and hygiene, perform as team members in tactical offensive and defensive formations, perform basic martial arts, perform duties and tasks common to marines on board naval vessels and bases ashore.
