Source: Flickr, GRID-Arendal, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
30 young Greenlanders set a goal to complete Arctic Basic Education. It required courage and strength, and 28 students were able to receive the Arctic education certificate on October 29. Now almost all students are continuing on the perspective-building course.
Group two of Arctic Basic Education ended the six months with a final grueling ice march of approximately 37 km, which went from the students’ education building in Kangerlussuaq and out to the ice sheet.
Training Completion
This week, the second group of students of Arctic Basic Education completed six months of training, during which they have acquired defence, emergency preparedness and police skills.
“The most important task of the Danish Armed Forces in the Arctic is to protect Greenland and the Faroe Islands—and this has only become more important. Therefore, the Danish Armed Forces greatly benefit from Greenland having a strengthened preparedness, which we will get in the future with the students from the Arctic Basic Training. It is therefore gratifying that such a large proportion of the students have completed the training,” says the Deputy Commander of the Joint Arctic Command, Commodore Lars Bjerring Ravn Nielsen.
Together with training partners and locals from Kangerlussuaq, he participated in the completion of the Arctic Basic Training, which took place on Wednesday, November 29, in the YMCA’s Soldiers’ Home in Kangerlussuaq—with speeches, tears and big smiles.
Establishing Arctic Basic Training
The political decision to establish Arctic Basic Training was made based on a desire to strengthen the resilience and emergency preparedness competencies in Greenland. Following the great interest in the training during the recruitment for group 1, the number of students was increased from 22 to 30.
“This training would never have gotten off to a good start if our partners—from the first idea to the finished product—had not been on board. Therefore, Arctic Command would like to thank the Greenland Police, the Greenland Emergency Services and the Government of Greenland for the excellent cooperation,” said Lars Bjerring Ravn Nielsen.
Students Continue Their Education
“Greenland is many things. It is beautiful, it is hard, it is wild. And Greenland rewards resilience—the ability to stand firm, even when everything around you changes. Robustness is both physical strength and mental endurance and calmness in stressful situations. It is a quality that you have proven that you possess. Take it with you and create resilience around you,” said the head of Arctic Basic Education, Captain Mathias la Cour Vågen, in his speech to the students.
Of the 28 students who have completed the training, 27 continue on the perspective course, where they will do internships in several places—including at Nuuk Fire Station and at Arctic Command headquarters. They will receive an introduction to the Sled Patrol Sirius, go sailing with the Navy, and as a new feature, they will also do internships in the Prison and Probation Service.
While the first part of the training has now been completed, there is a trial period until December 1 for new students for the Arctic Basic Training, which will start in the summer of next year.
“There has already been a very high interest in applying for the Arctic Basic Training. In several of the towns and settlements we have been to test, there have been twice as many applicants as before,” says the head of the Arctic Basic Training.
Source: Forsvaret (in Danish)
Further reading: