Atlas to the Rescue

The Independent (Kampala)

Mubatsi Asinja Habati

29 April 2011

Three military planes; an M17, a C130 and C17 hover overhead. On the ground, three pairs of Ugandan and American soldiers busy themselves on walkie-talkies; giving and receiving directions.

Shortly, a parachute from one of the planes overhead lands about 30 metres from where we are. It is a box of army ration biscuits. Gen. Ivan Koreta, the UPDF’s Deputy Chief of Defence Forces claps excitedly. Soon everyone; members of the UPDF, US Army Africa, Teso political leaders and civilians gathered at Olilim UPDF training ground in the remote district of Katakwi on the morning of April 20, are cheering. We have just witnessed a demo drop of emergency supplies to a hard to reach location; in this case us.

Gen. Koreta is excited because the perfect drop of biscuits is an exhibition of the skill his men and women in uniform have acquired from their US Army instructors. Everybody on the ground is elated. The army paratroopers demo marked the end of a two weeks training session in airborne resupplies dubbed ‘Atlas Drop 2011’.

Atlas Drop 2011 operation focused on equipping soldiers with skills in aerial delivery systems useful in providing rations, ammunition, medical supplies and other items to ground forces during times of war and to civilians during times of disaster. The Olilim and Soroti Atlas Drop 2011 exercise followed a similar exercise that took place in Provo, Utah in the US in February that involved fewer Ugandan soldiers.

The exercise is sponsored by Atlas Drop, a 15-year old initiative of the U.S. European Command-sponsored exercise designed to increase cross-training and cooperation between militaries in company level bi-lateral airborne operations as well as platoon level live-fire exercises.

The UPDF with the assistance of the US Africa Army completed a course in rescue airborne resupply training exercise. The military exercise, Atlas Drop 2011, involved classroom instruction and field exercises where UPDF and American soldiers engaged in rescue demonstrations, as a way of enriching their skills and knowledge in rescue mission in times of war and disaster.

Chief of Operations and Training in the UPDF, Brig. Gen. Silver Kayemba, who was the exercise director, said the soldiers are waiting to be deployed in Garamba, and Somalia. The exercise was hampered by bad weather.

“Our coming together here represents not just a partnership between two militaries but the bond between two nations,” said Lt. Col. Jeffrey Dickerson, Atlas Drop 2011 exercise deputy director.

The deputy commander of US Army Africa, Maj. Gen. David Hogg pledged that the US Army will continue its partnership with Ugandan soldiers to foster security cooperation at strategic level and improve skills professionally.

UPDF soldiers drawn from different sections of the force acquired skills from the US Army’s vast experience in air force rescue operations.

The US and Ugandan soldiers have carried out joint military exercises like Operation Natural Fire which was held in Gulu in 2009 and will hold another one in Tanzania in September this year.

Uganda soldiers can now be deployed in any area where the country carries its missions, said Koreta. The UPDF is involved in missions abroad including Somalia, DR Congo and Central African Republic among others.

Ugandan soldiers are leading the war on the Somali insurgents in Somalia and have been useful in other operations involving the US government. Uganda has positioned itself as a US ally in fighting terrorism in the region. Koreta said the skills acquired by the soldiers will be used in the fight against terrorism. The training, according to the deputy CDF, will prepare UPDF in future missions and enable it participate in the missions the country already carries out.

The deputy US ambassador to Uganda, Virginia Blaser, said partnership with the UPDF was helpful to the US government. She said the exercise was equally important for civilian authorities during times of disaster such as floods or landslides where the army would easily evacuate those caught up in the calamity or deliver relief supplies to people affected in hard to reach areas. “This is about protecting civilians and more importantly during times of disaster,” she said.

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