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US Army interested in training at Parvat Ghatak school

Nitin Gogoi

The US Army has shown a keen interest in sending its select troops to train at a specialised high altitude training school established by the Indian Army along the Indo-China border in the Arunachal Pradesh sector.

Highly placed army sources told rediff.com that an enquiry has been made by the US embassy in Delhi whether its troops can be sent in batches to the Parvat Ghatak School near Tawang.

The school, established in late 1999, has earned a reputation for imparting the best possible high altitude commando training in the short span of its existence.

It is a place where only the toughest can survive. At minus 20 degrees and 15,000 feet, the normal parameters of human existence are altered drastically. Each step is deliberate and laborious. Breathing is an exercise in itself. Walking normally in two-and-a half feet of snow is next to impossible.

And yet, at the Parvat Ghatak School or the High Altitude Commando School, located at Pemgarh, barely two km from the Indo-China border as the crow flies, troops of the Indian Army train themselves to be ready for any eventuality in these deadly heights.

The school, established and run by the Tawang-based Korea brigade under the Tezpur-headquartered IV Corps, is the world's highest located such school. As Lt Gen D B Shekatkar, commander of IV Corps says: "The Parvat Ghatak school combines the best elements of the Belgaum-based Commando School and the Sonamarg-located High Altitude Warfare School. Those who come here are trained in both the commando tactics and ways to survive high altitudes."

As Col Ashok Ambre, commanding officer of a Maratha Light Infantry unit, whose troops have had the benefit of the four-week course, says: "The course is designed only for those who are extremely fit and have an aptitude for commando tactics."

Indeed, the platoon strength of troops which train at the Parvat Ghatak, which literally translates into 'Deadly mountain Warriors', are handpicked before being sent to Pemgarh. The composition of the platoon is one officer, a junior commissioned officer and 26 other ranks. Each platoon has to undergo a four-week training capsule specially designed to toughen the troops and prepare them to take on the most challenging assignments. "This platoon is trained to go behind enemy lines, carry out subversive acts, commando raids and survive all adversities," Col Ambre says.

Maj Paramjit Singh, himself a trained commando, both at the Belgaum Commando Training School and the High Altitude Warfare School in Sonamarg near Srinagar, was assigned the task of designing the course content and the training schedule.

"The challenge was in combining the toughest elements of both the courses. As a commando, one is trained to be quick and accurate but as a commando in the inhospitable mountains, we have to have both the precision and stamina to overcome the adverse elements."

In fact, trainees who are assigned to undergo the four-week course here, actually begin their preparations much earlier. For example, all of them, as indeed each armyman posted in the Kameng sector, have to follow the "acclimatisation" schedule. The first stay of six days is at an altitude of 9,000 feet. During these six days, troops are advised to rest on the first two days followed by short walks on the next two. In the final two days, jawans and officers alike are supposed to walk at least five km. The next halt is at 12,000 feet. A similar but shortened routine is followed at this height.

Once this is done, soldiers are ready to be at heights above 15,000 feet.

In fact, in the Kameng sector, with a border frontage of over 270-km with China, some vital posts are located at an altitude above 20,000 feet. As Brig VDI Devavaram, commander of the Tawang-based brigade says: "Some of our posts are approachable only by air but come winter or rain, our boys are always up there." The Tawang-based brigade, known as the Korea brigade for having taken part in the UN peacekeeping mission in Korea in the 1950s, is responsible for guarding the vital frontier with China. All the battalions assigned to this brigade are therefore given the first priority when it comes to training the 'Ghatak' platoon.

The course itself is divided into four sectors. As Col Ambre explains: "To be effective in the mountains, the Ghatak team needs to know rock climbing, rappelling and also to have an ability to slither down a sheer cliff face."

The four main sections in the training are toughening exercises, assault course, rock craft and sharp shooting. As Maj Paramjit says: "Without proper acclimatisation and requisite physical strength, no one can last this course beyond a week." In the first week in fact, the first half of the day is devoted to sheer physical exercise where trainees walk long distances, progress to a bit of jogging and then running. In the second half, theory classes on various technical matters such as laying IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices), setting up ambushes and direction finding with compass is taught and skills honed.

Next comes the completion of the assault course with its numerous obstacles such as 'Lion Jump', 'Monkey Rope', 'Leopard Curve', 'Ghatak Crawl', and 'Burma Bridge' have to be crossed. Each of these obstacles is designed to test various aspects of a man's physical and mental strength. In 'Ghatak Crawl', for instance, the soldiers have to crawl under a barbed wire for at least 50 metres without straightening up and along with all the heavy equipment that they carry. 'Burma Bridge', so named because it resembles such bridges which were common in Burmese jungles during World War II, is a single rope supported to by a railing kind of ropes on either side. This 100-metre walk built over a stream is one of the toughest stretches since the soldier has to not only maintain his balance but also walk across quickly even as he is loaded with all the assault equipment.

What is more difficult is the altitude at which all this is carried out. At 15,000 feet and above, the normal parameters of human activity do not apply. The rarefied atmosphere means that oxygen is in short supply so breathing is laboured. Each step is a Herculean task. On top of the altitude is the snow which is more than knee-deep at times so each step has to be a measured one.

Of course the army provides special ECC (Extreme Cold Climate) clothing to everyone posted here. The ECC clothing consists of the Parka Coat, snow-boots, snow goggles, special gloves and cap.

The assault course apart, soldiers train in slithering down a long rope and also to climb sheer rock faces. A specially erected 60-feet platform allows the soldiers to practise slithering. Says a JCO who has done the course: "The course gives us an opportunity to be precise in several aspects such as rock craft and sharp shooting." Indeed, sharp shooting is practised at a specially designed simulator.

As Maj Paramjit reveals: "We have taken several slides where different positions are simulated for soldiers to fire at." The favoured weapon of the commandos is the Kalashnikov Assault Rifle popularly known as the AK series. Once the four-week course is complete, the Ghatak Platoon (Crack Force) goes back to its unit and regularly carries out training to remain in shape.

In the past four months, almost all battalions under the Korea brigade have had one platoon each trained at the Parvat Ghatak school and as a senior official reveals: "Now we have plans to train soldiers from other battalions under different brigades so that each of them will have a crack force in times of emergency to fall back upon." As Lt Gen Shekatkar told rediff.com, "The Parvat Ghatak School began as an experiment but now that it is showing good results, in due course it will evolve into an institution of repute like its other counterparts."

Although no one is willing to admit it as such, the need to combine the best of commando and high altitude warfare training, was perhaps felt in the immediate aftermath of Kargil where soldiers have had to fight at heights above 12,000 feet. The Parvat Ghatak School is thus fulfilling a need that has emerged in the post-Kargil period. Whatever the cause, the school training the fittest soldiers in the Indian Army to be deadly warriors in peace and in war.

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