Fort Leonard Wood (USA) – A member of the Brazilian Army completed the Engineer Basic Officer Leader Course at the U.S. Army Engineer School with distinction. Second Lieutenant Josué Mendes do Carmo was one of 60 participants in the leadership course for engineering officers and was awarded the International Honor Graduate award for standing out among the students.
Lasting nineteen weeks, the course presents physical and mental challenges to the future platoon leaders of the Engineer Corps, equipping them with essential knowledge, techniques and tactics to carry out their tasks in the corps. The students received instruction in explosives and demolitions, engineering reconnaissance, construction of watercourse crossings, use in offensive and defensive operations, horizontal and vertical construction activities, project management, among others.
The Brazilian military officer’s participation reinforces international cooperation between the continent’s armed forces and contributes to increasing the Brazilian Army’s professional qualifications. Second Lieutenant Josué also received the German Armed Forces’ Military Proficiency Award in the gold category, thanks to his results in various physical performance tests in operations, such as swimming in uniform, marching with equipment and pistol shooting. The high performance demonstrated by the soldier also contributes to the projection of Brazil’s image abroad.
The Brazilian highlighted the importance of international training for the integration of armies and the dissemination of important knowledge to Brazil’s troops. “The Engineering Officer Basic Leadership Course allowed me to learn how the US Army prepares its engineering officers for combat. The exchange of experiences and the interaction with military personnel from different countries made it possible to broaden technical knowledge and strengthen integration between the armies, raising Brazil’s profile on the international stage.”
*** Translated by DEFCONPress FYI Team ***