Marabá (PA) – From June 21 to 30, the 26th Parachute Infantry Battalion (26 BI Pqdt), Santos Dumont Battalion, carried out training in a jungle environment at the Northern Military Command. Operation Eastern Jungle Boomerang, carried out in the area of responsibility of the 23rd Jungle Infantry Brigade, was developed in 3 phases: the first phase was preparation instructions, the second consisted of air-raid assault and air-bridge head defense, and a third phase consisted of the execution of jungle operations.
In the first phase, instructions were given on aquatic spawning, outboard motor practice, reflex action shooting, and embarked shooting, among others. At this time the aim was to acclimate the paratrooper to the main characteristics of military use in the Amazon region.
In a second phase, the military operations started with an aerial assault in the Juva launching zone, in Itupiranga (PA). The semi-automatic jump was in the C-95 Bandeirante aircraft of the Brazilian Air Force. Upon touching the ground, the Santos Dumont Task Force performed a forced march for the air bridge head conquest and its maintenance.
The third phase was composed of the development of jungle operations, where reconnaissance, destruction, neutralization and assault patrols were carried out by the small airborne fractions in the city of Marabá (PA).
The aim of the Boomerang Operations is to introduce the Santos Dumont Battalion to the most diverse national biomes, especially because it is a force of strategic employment and must always be able to deploy anywhere in the national territory in a short period of time.
Jungle Infantry Brigade trains its Readiness Force in Pará
Belém (PA) – Throughout the month of June, the Northern Military Command (CMN) and the Eastern Training Center (CA-Leste) conducted the Operational Readiness Force Exercise (FORPRON) to certify the 23rd Jungle Infantry Brigade (23rd Bda Inf Sl) as a military organization ready to fulfill the mission of defending and protecting the national territory.
In practice, to achieve the desired level of operational efficiency, the military went through several theoretical and practical exercises in three phases of training: constructive, virtual and live. “Now we are in the most important phase, which is to come to the field and verify that all the planning and simulation on the map have been effective. Finally, this exercise will certify, once again, the 23rd Jungle Infantry Brigade as a Brazilian Army Readiness Force to be able to fulfill the mission of homeland defense anywhere in the Brazilian territory”, highlighted the area commander, Brigade General Veiga.
Some exercises were held very close to the population, such as in the Cidade Nova neighborhood, in Itupiranga, and also in the Sinobras Steel mill, as well as in closed forest areas in the region, to simulate combat in a jungle environment.
For Alcione de Oliveira, housing coordinator of the Cidade Nova neighborhood, in Itupiranga, seeing the Army training up close is satisfying for all ages. “It’s very nice for the kids, they are euphoric. And it is also beneficial for the families because it gives us a little more security”, he said.
For the kids, dressage is a show and an inspiration. “When I grow up, I want to be just like them. I want to wear this uniform, this equipment, and defend people,” said Guilherme da Silva, 10, who followed the soldiers on patrol through the neighborhood.
More than 1,600 military personnel, approximately 120 land vehicles, 29 boats and four helicopters, two Jaguar and two Pantera, were employed. The Readiness Force Certification involved exercises in jungle environments, with infiltrations through Amazon rivers, and through the air with aircraft, involving aeromobile rescue of the wounded in confrontations. In a simulated manner, the military acted in an offensive and defensive manner against irregular forces, putting into practice all the military capabilities of the Northern Military Command. It is important to point out that the Brazilian Army conducts the training within safety standards, with the use of non-lethal ammunition.
In this context, there was also the participation of the 26th Parachute Infantry Brigade, based in Rio de Janeiro, which carried out Operation Eastern Jungle Boomerang, in Marabá (PA), employing the Santos Dumont Task Force and a FAB C95 Bandeirantes aircraft. About 200 parachutists made the jump into the sky of Marabá.
The FORPRON activities are part of the Land Force Operational Readiness System (SISPRON), created to implement a unique methodology to prepare large numbers of personnel. The System is responsible for planning, coordinating and controlling the maintenance of the training level called “full readiness”, making available troops adequately prepared for the most varied operational capabilities of the Land Force.
