British Royal Marines train Ugandan forces

British Royal Marines have spent a month in Entebbe training the Uganda People’s Defence Force in maritime operations.

1 Assault Group Marines (1AGRM) has been working as a short-term training team showing the Ugandan forces how to conduct amphibious assault operations, including assaulting beaches, and boarding and searching vessels. They also gave advice on handling the boats and conducting raids along the shoreline, along with how to carry out patrols, man checkpoints and what to do in scenarios such as trafficking.

The work was carried out on behalf of the tri-service British Peace Support Team (Africa) which provides support on the request from different nations.

Reservist Sam Dwyer, of RMR Merseyside, said: ‘We have been training the 10th Marine Battalion of the Uganda’s People Defence Force for mission-specific pre-deployment training before they go to Somalia. The training has been split between ground combat and working with their coxswains as their tasking in Mogadishu, Somalia, will see them patrol the fisheries and the sea.’