The Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces’ (UPDF) whose major responsibility is to defend the country’s territory, had its officers of the Armoured Brigade (A/Bde) complete a two-day basic and combat fitness tests carried out in Masaka town.
The officers went through a 3 Kilometre run, push-ups and sit-ups as part of basic fitness test. The combat fitness test included a 20 Kilometre route-march while carrying and wearing all the basics of an infantry soldier in the field.
The exercise was supervised by the commander of A/Bde, Brig Gen Joseph Ssemwanga. He said the exercise was a followed that which the Commander Land Forces, Lt Gen Peter Elwelu, launched on November 2, 2019, attracting senior commanders and directors under UPDF under that section.
“This is part of the wider national exercise meant to not only improve on soldiers’ fitness and health but also asses their combat readiness,” said Brig. Ssemwanga.
The exercise coordinator who is also the Brigade’s Operations and Training Officer, Col Kantinti said all the participants satisfactorily passed the tests and exhibited high morale typical of the UPDF.
UPDF in 2015 came up with a number of measures to improve the health and fitness of its officers and militants. Fitness tests and having running files for routine medical examination are some of the measures meant to keep the troops mentally, physically and medically fit to execute their military roles.
