Our Reporter
The Commander of the Nigerian Army Training Centre (NATRAC), Maj.-Gen. John Sokoya, has called for enhanced collaboration between NATRAC and the Training and Doctrine Command Nigerian Army (TRADOC), to administer effective and realistic training to personnel of the Nigerian Army (NA).
Sokoya made the call on Tuesday, when he paid a familiarisation visit to the Commander TRADO, Maj.-Gen. Kevin Aligbe, in Minna, Niger State.
The Acting Deputy Director Army Public Relations in TRADOC, Lt.-Col. Sani Uba, made this known in a statement on Wednesday in Minna.
He said the visit was aimed at strengthening the existing partnership between the two critical institutions of the Nigerian army in line with the Chief of Army Staff’s (COAS) Command Philosophy to effectively tackle contemporary and hybrid security threats facing the country in a Joint Operational Environment.
The NATRAC Commander described TRADOC as the hub and brain trust of the Nigerian army, emphasising its role as a custodian of army doctrine which has connection with all forms of training that assist in operational development and training standardisation.
He highlighted TRADOC’s critical role in the formulation and execution of NA Training Directives, noting that constructive collaboration between the two institutions was essential for conducting realistic and mission-specific training for troops on behalf of the army.
He therefore appreciated the Commander TRADOC NA for window given to him to come and discuss important issues concerning enhancement of realistic training, adding that NATRAC conducts wider range of training for other security agencies.
According to him, NATRAC is soliciting support of TRADOC to prepare for the subsequent EXERCISE MUGUN BUGU which is the highest Army level field training exercise.
The Commander also commended TRADOC for its pivotal role in the coordination and successful execution of EXERCISE MUGUN BUGU I, II and III.
He said the exercise is a large-scale operational training designed to test and refine the operational effectiveness and combat readiness of NA formations and units through training institutions.
In his response, the Commander TRADOC, Maj.-Gen. Aligbe, described the visit as timely and mission-driven, emphasising that the collaboration between TRADOC and NATRAC remains vital to the formulation of training policies that will boost the performance of the Nigerian Army ‘s formations and units in the field for better operational outcomes.
Aligbe lauded NATRAC for its commitment to continuous training of formed and capacity enhancement of troops through realistic exercises.
“When you train together, you fight better together. Command and control is much easier when elements of a unit understand each other in the field. Such joint training initiatives have significantly improved the Army’s preparedness to address the country’s mutating security threats,” he said.
The Commander TRADOC NA thanked the Commander NATRAC for sparing time and space out of tight schedules to come to TRADOC for operational and training discourse.