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Survival training in Manaus - 2005

Survival training in Manaus - 2005

Jacek Pałkiewicz
2006-06-25 14:31:18

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www.palkiewicz.com

CIGS (Centro de Instrucao de Guerra na Selva), Training Center for Jungle Warfare in Manaus, is the “jewel in the crown” of the Brazilian army. It is considered the best and most demanding in the world in survival and fighting in the jungle. The badge is a symbol of recognition and respect and the diploma it a symbol of distinction in a military career.
The courses of 5-7 weeks are developed in extreme climate and habitat conditions and only half of the participants make it to the end.

In 41 years here they have handed out qualifications of a high level to over 4.000 people, of which, around 300 were foreigners, attached to special units of allied nations.
Jacek Palkiewicz has participated as an instructor in one of these courses for foreigners.
He was awarded with the prestigious "'Machete of the Jungle Warrior" with the number 0055.

JUNGLE HELL
From block notes
…..The situation is critical. The two-tonne plus bongo, an Indian boat made out of an enormous trunk of red cedar, pushed by ten men, does not want to budge. The low water level has forced us to leave the boat and push it through the shallows. We have thus moved forward about four hundred metres. We are using all our strength to cope. The commandoes, strong, fit men, are doing their best. Nevertheless, we are only moving about one hundred metres an hour. Meanwhile, the water level is still falling. We are hungry and exhausted. The heat from the glowing skies together with the high humidity means that what we sweat does not evaporate from our bodies, and therefore it does not carry away excess heat and does not cool the organism. The body’s thermoregulation becomes dangerously irregular, which could lead to a life-threatening heatstroke. However, we cannot allow ourselves to rest for more than five minutes.
We are doing our best to escape from the trap. We work like Titans, and our efforts finally prove effective. We ...