|
Syria Military Training
In 1987 three military schools were training commissioned
officers for the services: the Military Academy, the Naval
Academy, and the Air Force Academy. Young men from eighteen to
twenty-three could apply for admission to the school of their
choice. Selections were made from those who passed the required
entrance examination, were physically qualified, and were
considered politically loyal. All three academies conducted a
standard two-year course leading to a commission immediately on
completion of the course.
The Military Academy, located at Homs, was founded by the
French in 1933 and is the oldest and largest of the service
institutions. It was primarily a school for training infantry
officers. Graduates selected for the other services went on to
additional specialized training at other army-operated specialist
schools. Selected graduates were frequently sent for advanced
training to military academies in the Soviet Union.
The Naval Academy, at Latakia, began operations in 1962 after
the breakup of the union with Egypt and the recall of Syrian
students attending the Egyptian Naval Academy. Its facilities and
student body were limited, and it has produced only a handful of
graduates each year.
The Air Force Academy was located at Nayrab Airbase, near
Aleppo. It was established in 1960 and took over the training of
air officers, who were formerly sent abroad for schooling,
usually to Britain, France, or Egypt. The curriculum provided
instruction in theoretical, technical, and scientific subjects
and included basic flight training. The academy has trained
technical officers as well as pilots. For training in advanced
jet aircraft, however, pilots have been sent to Soviet or East
European flight schools. Technical graduates have generally
attended Soviet schools for advanced technical training, but
since 1964, increased technical training has been conducted at
Syrian bases.
Reserve officers were trained at a fourth institution in
Aleppo. Candidates, in many cases college graduates, were
selected from among incoming annual classes of conscripts. They
attended a concentrated nine-month course and were then assigned
to units, usually in the infantry, as officer candidates. Those
who met the qualifications continued as candidates until one
month before completion of their required tours of duty, at which
time they received their commissions as reserve second
lieutenants.
In the past, the standards maintained in officer training
varied widely because of the country's frequent political
changes. In addition, the differences in the experiences of
officers trained in France, Britain, Egypt, Iraq, the United
States, and the Soviet Union created a divergence of military and
political doctrines within the officer corps. Since 1963,
however, training has become increasingly systematic and
standardized along Soviet lines. By 1987 graduates of Syrian
military academies emerged as dedicated and professional
soldiers.
Data as of April 1987
|
