MILITARY OBSERVERS IN WESTERN SAHARA: The training

Carsten Dombrowski from the CAPSARIUS AKADEMIE - check out his website and sign up for the excellent "Callsign Doc" newsletter - served as a military observer of the German Bundeswehr for six months in the Western Sahara:

The training, as already mentioned, lasts about nine weeks. Responsible for conducting the training is currently and was also the United Nations Training Centre of the Bundeswehr, known as VN AusbZ Bw, in Hammelburg, Franconia. This is stationed together with the Infantry School at Lagerberg. The well-known training village "Bonnland" is also part of the location.

Modules 1 to 4 were supervised by the 1st Inspection, International Mission Training. Module 5 varies between other nations and the mentioned 1st InVNAusbZ. More on that later.

After the welcome and the usual course administration, there were a variety of lectures on the topic of the UN, missions, but also firsthand accounts from military observers who had just returned from their missions. Getting insider information about the actual life on site firsthand was invaluable.

The military psychologist is there

At the same time, the first deployment discussions took place regarding the country and period of deployment. I was able to implement my personal wishes very well. The contact persons from the mission command were very cooperative and comradely. Having a military psychologist observing or accompanying the course participants was somewhat unfamiliar, but upon closer examination, it made sense, as being a military observer for the UN places special demands on the soldier's character.

An important part is the extended medical training. With ten days, building on the foundation of a current first aid course, known as combat lifesaver alpha in the Bundeswehr, module 2 introduced the combat lifesaver bravo (abbreviated as CLB). This course focuses on trauma care and allows the graduate to perform a wide range, including invasive, medical procedures. Inserting intravenous and intraosseous access, airway management up to emergency coniotomy, as well as needle thoracostomy for tension pneumothorax are part of the training.

Snakebites and corpses

Since the reality in deployments often involves patients with classic tropical diseases as well as snake or spider bites, module 3 follows module 2. These types of topics are covered there. Dental emergency care and medical pathology complement the overview. For many, especially younger officers who do not come from the medical service, dealing with corpses is completely new territory. However, since death is a realistic companion in such deployments and victims are often disfigured or already in a state of decomposition, sensitively introducing this topic is important.

In collaboration with the forensic medicine department of the University of Würzburg, most participants experience their first real dead body during the professionally guided autopsy. If a participant realizes that they are personally overwhelmed, they can withdraw from the course. It is better to resign here than to potentially suffer psychological harm in the deployment area.

The entire medical training, like the language training in module 4, is consistently rated as excellent and mission-relevant. Most participants already have a good command of school English. However, the specific military and UN English differs significantly from standard civilian English. Acronyms, lectures, briefings, and negotiation techniques are repeatedly practiced under the strict supervision of the language instructor, a former US staff officer with extensive field experience. I was able to benefit greatly from the experiences of a native speaker. His vivid explanations made it easier to understand and absorb an otherwise sometimes dry and theoretical topic. After three weeks of training, a small assessment took place, and the next module was on the agenda. But more on that in another report.

Military observers in Western Sahara - to read:

Part 1: The Selection

Questions? Contact the CAPSARIUS ACADEMY at our [email protected] with the subject "Morocco".

Capsarius Academy on the internet: www.capsarius-akademie.com