File photo from the Facebook page of the Philippine Army
LUCENA CITY — At least 154 aspiring Army soldiers in Southern Tagalog started their 16 weeks of basic military training, the military said Friday, May 19.
The Army’s 2nd Infantry Division (2ID), based in Camp Capinpin in Tanay, Rizal, announced in a statement that the “Candidate Soldier Course” class 764 this year is composed of 146 males and eight females.
The trainees will undergo 16 weeks of “rigorous training” to learn the foundations of soldiery and the Army’s core values.
It will be followed by a 7-week “specialization training on Infantry Orientation Course” at the 2nd ID training school.
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The training, which started on May 17, aims to transform the new recruits into “competent, confident, and capable soldiers guided by the Philippine Army.”
The opening ceremony was witnessed by the families and friends of the fresh recruits.
Army Major General Roberto Capulong, 2nd ID commander, described the start of the training as a “special day and a very important milestone” for the recruits.
“Today is the start of your military career. You have chosen the right profession, the most noble way of serving the country and fellowmen,” Capulong said.
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He urged the aspirants “to be strong and hurdle the difficult days” that they will face during their training.
“I also ask the families and loved ones of our candidate soldiers to give them the needed morale support so that they will remain focused and inspired to do well in training,” he added.
After the training, the new soldiers will be deployed to various Army battalions and brigades across the Southern Tagalog region to help wipe out the remaining New People Army rebels and assist the communities in civic operations.
The 2nd ID operates in Calabarzon and the island provinces of Mindoro Oriental, Mindoro Occidental, Marinduque ,and Romblon.
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