KAMPALA, Uganda – U.S. soldiers with the 403rd Civil Affairs Battalion, deployed in support of Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa, held a graduation ceremony on Friday, June 7 for the first-ever U.S.-supported Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) Counter Illicit Trafficking Junior Leader Course at Queen Elizabeth National Park. Twenty-four UWA rangers successfully completed the course.
The extensive training program was a four-week course of classroom and practical training that enhanced UWA capabilities to protect wildlife resources by developing self-sufficient leaders. Instruction included weapons handling, field medical care, land navigation, human rights, leadership, crime scene investigations, law enforcement tactics, patrolling, ethics, and values. The top students in this course will serve as instructors in future training programs, leading to a sustainable leader training program managed by UWA.
The 24 UWA rangers are assigned to seven different national parks in Uganda that include: Queen Elizabeth Conservation Area, Kidepo Valley Conservation Area, Lake Mburo National Park, Kabale National Park, Murchison Falls National Park, Semuliki National Park, Kidepo Valley National Park, and the Kigezi Wildlife Reserve.
For more information, contact:
Nanyonga Dorothy, Information Assistant, U.S. Mission Uganda
Tel: +256 414 306 410 Cell: +256 772 138194, +256 784 846 334 Email: NanyongaDX@state.gov