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The grueling march with 20-kilograms of gear seems to go on without end. Immersed in our surroundings, we wade deeper into the igarapè and treacherous swamps. When we reach firm land again it is to struggle up a steep rise or sink up to our knees in the rotten trunks of fallen trees. Thorny vines scrape the hands, leading to wounds that refuse to heal and cause infection. We are surrounded by the impenetrable selva, an equatorial forest drowning in twilight, full of chaotic greenery, slithering snakes and clouds of blood hungry insects that can inflict a bite even through clothing soaked in sweat. Black ants fall from the branches above into unprotected collars, stinging mercilessly, and an unbearably humid and greenhouse-like air slowly drains our strength and balance. Deprivation, a lack of logistic security, physical overload, poor hygienic conditions and tension – all of this creates a feeling of restlessness in this isolated world.
Together with local instructors I am leading a survival course in the Brazilian Centro de Instrução de Guerra na Selva, a combat training center in the selva. Here officers and sergeants are prepared for combat in the jungle using a program that has been compared to the elite course given to Rangers at Fort Benning. In this model school modern equipment is also tested for use in the humid tropical forest and recently research was begun in the field of „human biology” intended to expand the limits of human capabilities. The aim is to identify methods of increasing the output of an organism exposed to extreme strain during extended activities in the virgin wilderness. Over 4,000 military personnel have earned high qualifications during courses and internships of 5-7 weeks, including 300 foreigners from renowned allied army units.
In the jungle the sweat pouring off of us in streams does not evaporate, hence heat is not released from the body. A moment ago the second exhausted trainee of the day was subjected to medical intervention and hooked up to an IV. As usual, no more than half of the trainees will make it to the end of the training. The rest, regardless of whether they are cut down by dysentery or malaria, will be withdrawn from the course and sent in failure to their units. Our ears are still ringing with the words of the stern sergeant, who told us on the first day: „Perhaps some will think our methods none too humanitarian, but you should know that the jungle doesn’t tolerate ‘wimps.’ We will teach you a few things that will allow you to not only to save your lives but defeat your opponent. I admit that we will push you constantly, keep you under pressure and do everything to bring you to the limits of endurance. For many ‘building’ a warrior of the selva will represent a taste of hell against which only determination and iron resistance are defenses. Gentlemen! I wish you luck!”
„Seel!-vaa!” answered 26 men in field uniforms bare of epaulettes and insignia with a shout. The trainee is just a number, which is clearly visible on his hat. And “selva!” or in other words „yes sir” is the traditional CIGS yell.
At the beginning everyone has to absorb many theories and later put all this theoretical knowledge into practice. No one knows what lies ahead. Trainees have to learn orientation, how to gain the trust of local inhabitants, how to recognize edible palm buds, how to build sturdy shelter, etc.
Number 19 cut his hand on a leaf as sharp as a razor. A moment later the wounded man is attended to by Sergeant Jorge who stops the bleeding by applying a fresh spider’s web and then coating the wound with ants. These creatures are excellent tools in healing wounds because their jaws contain antibiotic substances that protect against infection. Metys, raised among the Indians on a tributary of the Rio Negro, feels like a fish in water inside the jungle.
Yesterday were courses concerning combat tactics in the jungle. Today trainees will save hypothetical hostages. The scenario is based on a real event that took place one year ago in Colombia. We must travel two kilometers carrying a gun and standard equipment. The group moves in 4-person teams containing a mix of nationalities, in which each man must trust himself and his teammates. Orientation is difficult because the visibility is limited to more than a dozen meters. GPS doesn’t help at all. Constant readings from the compass are invaluable.
Success in freeing the hostages lies in synchronized action by all the groups as well as speed. Unexpectedly difficulties arise that may foil an intricately formulated plan. Shortly before the attack the leader of group number 17 receives a message concerning unexpected developments. He must adjust quickly to changing conditions and take action „off the cuff,” formulating a plan that goes beyond the established procedures.
After sunset the equatorial forest comes alive in a symphony of various sounds. The unpleasantly annoying screams of monkeys are interspersed with the intriguing calls of birds or the heavy echoes of unseen animals. Behind the black wall of the jungle suspicious rustling can be heard, causing the mind to contemplate imagined threats that lead to a troubling feeling of unease. It is difficult to let down one’s guard because the imagination forces man to maintain the highest state of alertness until dawn brings release.
At the end trainees must face a „moment of truth.” Small groups are dropped into the interior of the selva with the reminder: “If you want to gain a certificate from the course, you have to report to base number 2 within 48 hours.”
„At times I thought that I wouldn’t make it to the end and once I completely blacked out,” Maksy confides. Thoroughly exhausted, bitten by insects, wearing sweat-soaked and stinking uniforms and half-conscious they trickle into the cells an hour before the deadline. Each of them has lost from three to six kilograms. Number 6’s feet are a sorry sight, covered in blisters and blood. The Russia labeled number 4 barely avoided hypothermia and heat exhaustion caused by long-term, intense physical effort in the heat. Not everyone has run the gauntlet of the course. Despite excellent physical condition, some have been failed by the psyche and broke down at the finish of the murderous test. The other six survived a true drama by failing to enter the elite ranks because of insufficient health. |
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