+ A
A -
QNA
Doha
QATAR Armed Forces (QAF) on Thursday celebrated the graduation of 193 recruits of the first founding session of the Joint Special Forces under the patronage of Minister of State for Defence Affairs HE Dr Khalid bin Mohammad al Attiyah and Chief of Staff HE Major-General (Pilot) Ghanem bin Shaheen al Ghanem.
The 12-week course provided recruits with the necessary skills to excel in the military career in a disciplined and command-oriented manner.
The success rate among the recruits was 100 percent, while 80 percent of them earned very good grade and 20 percent good grade.
In a press statement on the sidelines of the graduation ceremony, Brigadier General Hamad bin Abdullah al Futtais al Marri, Commander of the Joint Special Forces, expressed his delight at the graduation of the first batch of the Joint Special Forces in which a large number of Qatari youth took part, reflecting their keenness to engage in special forces after the implementation of a new structure and plans for the training of recruits.
The second founding course for the infantry will start on Sunday and it brings together about 350 recruits, he said, adding that the third Session is scheduled to begin within two months and it includes 300 to 350 recruits.
The Joint Special Forces has launched a well-planned recruitment plan, which adopts excellent training methods and suitable materials for new recruits, he explained.
After completion of this course, the recruits will start other specialised courses that will prepare them to work in their fields, including Paratroopers and Thunderbolt courses before joining one of the three Special Forces: mobile Special Forces, Special Operations or Special Naval Forces.
Joining this course requires that candidates should hold a high school diploma with 75 percent to be graduated at the rank of sergeant. After six years recruits will be promoted to the rank of lieutenant.
For the recruits who obtain less than 75 percent, they will be graduated as deputy-sergeant and will be promoted after 8 years to the rank of lieutenant, Marri said, stressing that both graduates receive special privileges in the Special Forces.
For his part, Lt-Col Mohammed Fahd Falih al Shahwani, Commander of the Special Operations School, thanked the Joint Special Forces Command for its unlimited support to the school and for making this session a success.
He explained in his speech at the closing ceremony that the 12-week session, which began on January 12, 2017, included military and academic training in infantry, fitness, light weapons, shooting, field battle skills, and health skills, along with courses on administrative and health and marching long distances during military sessions.
