“Brig Gen Cyrus Besigye Bekunda (center) shares a light moment with fellow officers, including Brig Peter Ongiya Candia (left) and Col RC Wakayinja (right), during the passing-out ceremony for combat engineers and explosive experts at the School of Combat Engineers in Karama, Mubende District. The occasion marked a significant milestone in the training of these soldiers, and the officers’ presence served as a testament to the importance of leadership and camaraderie in the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF).”
KARAMA, MUBENDE DISTRICT – Brig Gen Cyrus Besigye Bekunda, Joint Staff Chief Engineering, emphasized the importance of discipline and continuous skill upgrading for combat engineers and explosive experts to excel in their army careers.
Speaking at the passing-out ceremony for 255 students from Combat Engineering Level III and Explosive Ordnance Devices/Improvised Explosive Devices (EOD/IED) Level II at the School of Combat Engineers in Karama, Brig Gen Besigye Bekunda highlighted the significance of discipline and willingness to upgrade skills for a successful army career.
“Discipline and willingness to upgrade will give you a good life in the army,” he said. “We expect you to perform much better in the field than the way you have demonstrated to us here.”
The graduates underwent comprehensive training in combat engineering and EOD/IED, covering various aspects such as organization, rigging, demolition, water supply, mine warfare, booby traps, roads, and rafts. The EOD/IED course covered explosive theory, EOD task management, modern mines, use of explosives, skill at arms, political education, drill, financial resilience, and military law.
Col Wilson Kabeera, commandant of the School of Combat Engineers, expressed gratitude to the Army leadership for supporting the school and emphasized the importance of discipline, readiness, and adaptability in countering enemy threats.
“In the spirit of professionalism and modernization of our forces, we see an opportunity to produce wholesome soldiers who can accomplish any task in any given scenario,” he said. “Knowledge in water purification, EOD, urban military breaching, and basic NBC defense should be integrated into every soldier’s basic training.”
The ceremony was attended by senior UPDF officers, including Brig Peter Ongiya Candia, Commandant of the Mechanised Brigade, and Col RC Wakayinja, Acting Commander of the 14 Combat Engineering Brigade.
The Ministry of Defence and Veterans Affairs has pledged to secure motor vehicle bridge equipment and prioritize its budget, according to Brig Gen Bekunda.
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