In February and March 2023, eight members of the Royal Gibraltar Regiment, accompanied by a Royal Marines doctor, spent five weeks in Gambia, West Africa, where they delivered the "Train the Trainer (T3)" programme to 61 officers and soldiers of the Gambian Armed Forces (Gambian Armed Forces, GAF).
The short-term training team of the Royal Gibraltar Regiment spent five weeks at the British High Commissioner's headquarters in Serrekunda, about 10 kilometres from Banjul, Gambia's capital.
The Royal Gibraltar Regiment has trained in The Gambia on several occasions over the past 19 years, most recently in 2021. In recent deployments, the Royal Gibraltar Regiment has focused on developing the GAF's capabilities to train its own soldiers and officers.
In this latest deployment, the team delivered a training package that has trained 52 soldiers and 9 GAF officers, with emphasis on teaching Gambian trainers how to deliver the training themselves.
The knowledge and experience gained by Gambians will enable them to return to their battalions and provide more training to a wider core, thereby improving the quality and readiness of Gambian soldiers and increasing the capacity of the GAF to support future UN missions, as well as to improve the standards of their own units.
The training of soldiers began by focusing on updating knowledge in areas such as field work, treatment of captured people and first aid training. Gambian soldiers then learned to plan, prepare and deliver classes and to develop their ability to review lessons taught by others.
Officers focused on the broader requirements of a training environment and the competencies needed to support teaching. The course culminated with a combat exercise that was planned and staged to the soldiers.
At the end of the course, Gambian Armed Forces Brigadier General Torro Jawneh presided over the closing ceremony. On behalf of the Royal Gibraltar Regiment training team, certificates and awards were presented to the best students.
The soldiers of the GAF Gambian Armed Forces, who participated in the course, will now return to their battalions ready for some 300 new recruits to pass basic training at the GAF Training School and report to their new battalions under the tutelage of newly qualified instructors.
Members of the Royal Gibraltar Regiment (RG) have spent five weeks in The Gambia training officers and soldiers from the Gambian Armed Forces (GAF).
The Regiment’s Short-Term Training Team, accompanied by a Royal Marine Medic, delivered a “Train the Trainer” package aimed at developing the GAF’s ability to train their own personnel.
This visit is the latest in a series of training deployments to Africa and is part of wider UK Defence efforts to build capability with key partners across the continent.
From fieldcraft to first aid training, the Gambian soldiers were offered refresher work and supported in developing and delivering their own lessons to enhance the GAF’s ability to support future UN missions.
The course culminated in a realistic battle exercise, with Brigadier General Torro Jawneh of the GAF overseeing a closing ceremony and presenting awards to the top performing students.
The above is a tranlation of this Spanish artice: El Real Regimiento de Gibraltar instruye a soldados de Gambia
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Royal Gibraltar Regiment Association premises on Irish Town to see the start of refurbishment works that will modernise the venue, which will also become the recruitment office for the Regiment.