Parachute Troops School
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| Escola Tropas Pára-quedistas Parachute Troops School |
|
|---|---|
| Active | 1956 – Present day |
| Country | Portugal |
| Branch | Portuguese Army |
| Type | Military Instruction School |
| Size | Two Battalions |
| Part of | Rapid Reaction Brigade |
| Garrison/HQ | Aeroterrestrial Support Battalion Instruction Battalion |
| Nickname | Páras / Boinas Verdes (Paras / Green Berets) |
| Motto | "Que nunca por vencidos se conheçam" |
The ETP - Escola de Tropas Páraquedistas (Parachute Troops School), based in Tancos, is a unit of the Portuguese Army and serves as the instruction center for recruitment and training of the Portuguese paratroopers. This unit includes an entire battalion, acting as support and reserve for Airborne units which contains for example, military war dogs and Airborne Pathfinders and an instruction battalion responsible for the forming of new paratroopers.
The ETP is part of the Rapid Reaction Brigade that includes other elite units like the Army Comandos and Army Special Operations.
Like other Portuguese Airborne units, the troops of the School are nicknamed "Boinas Verdes" (Green Berets) while the recruits are nicknamed "Catatuas".
Contents |
[edit] History
[edit] Origins
- See also: Portuguese Air Force and Portuguese Colonial War
[edit] The Battalion
After the successful use of paratroopers in the Second World War by the Allies, it became essential for every Armed Force of any given country to have Parachute Troops. The Portuguese defense cabinet realized this and so in the 50's the Portuguese Armed Forces started to form its own unit of this type.
First, two captains of the Army went to France to take the parachute course at the École de Troupes Aeroportèes. Then the Portuguese Air Force was created as an independent branch of the military and it was decided that the paratroopers would be part of it. The BCP - Batalhão de Caçadores Páraquedistas (Paratrooper Hunters Battalion) was then formed, with their elements wearing some special gear, like berets and camo uniforms. The unit was deployed to Tancos, which still serves as the HeadQuarters for the modern Portuguese parachute troops.
[edit] The colonial war and the Regiment
In 1961, the colonial war began and it became necessary to have more troops to fight in Africa. The BCP was promoted to Regiment (RCP - Regimento de Caçadores Páraquedistas - Paratroopers Hunter Regiment) and more battalions were created outside Portugal, in the colonies to fight the separatist guerilla movements.
Due to Portuguese Air Force control over the paratroopers, their battalions numbers were in direct connection with local Air Force command, 1st Air Region (Air Force command over north atlantic territories) command 11th (Portugal) and 12th (Guiné-Bissau) Paratrooper Hunter Battalion, 2nd Air Region (Air Force command over south atlantic territories) command the 21st Paratrooper Hunter Battalion (Angola) and the 3rd Air Region (Air Force command over the Indian ocean territories) command the 31st and 32th Paratrooper Hunter Battalion (Mozambique).
[edit] Paratroopers casualties
- 12th Paratrooper Hunter Battalion: 56 dead (3 officers, 6 sargeants and 47 soldiers).
- 21st Paratrooper Hunter Battalion: 47 dead (5 officers, 9 sargeants and 33 soldiers)
- 31st Paratrooper Hunter Battalion: 39 dead (2 officers, 6 sargeants and 31 soldiers)
- 32th Paratrooper Hunter Battalion: 18 dead (2 sargeants and 16 soldiers)
Total of 160 Portuguese paratroopers KIA.
On the 25th of April of 1974, a military coup supported by the people, thrown off the dictatorship in Portugal, the war ended and a military reform was started on the paratroopers the year after.
[edit] Recent history
- See also: Portuguese Army, Portuguese Rapid Reaction Brigade, and Pathfinders Company
[edit] The School is born
On the 5th of July of 1975 the BETP - Base Escola de Tropas Pára-Quedistas (Parachute Troops School Base) was formed at the RCP (which was disbanded) and integrated in the CTP - Corpo de Tropas Paraquedistas (Parachute Troops Corps) of the Portuguese Air Force.
The Corps was responsible for changing the paratroopers from a counter-guerrilla force to a conventional airborne force capable of fighting in a possible NATO VS Warsaw Pact war, so it was formed a Light Paratrooper Brigade (BRIPARAS) with 3 Paratrooper Battalions and a few support units, the Corps also raised several barracks across Portugal to garrison the new brigade, BOTP1 - Base Operacional de Tropas Pára-quedistas nº1 (1st Paratrooper Operational Base) at Monsanto and BOTP2 at São Jacinto, some troops were also garrisoned in the BETP at Tancos.
BRIPARAS Orbat:
BOTP1: Paratrooper Battalion nº11, Anti-Tank Company, Signals Company
BOTP2: Paratrooper Battalion nº21, Services and Suport Operational Group, Heavy Mortar Company
BETP: Paratrooper Battalion nº31, Aeroterrestrial Operacional Group
[edit] Integration in the Army
Changes in the organization of the unit would happen 18 years later, in 1993 when the Defense Minister decided that the entire corps should leave the Portuguese Air Force and make part of the Portuguese Army. This meant also that the Commandos Regiment would be disbanded and the commandos that had parachute course would be part of the new unit which was named BAI - Brigada Aerotransportada Independente (Independent Airborne Brigade).
The BETP then changed its name again to ETAT - Escola de Tropas Aerotransportadas (Airborne Troops School), the Paratrooper Corp changed to the Comando de Tropas Aerotransportas (Airborne Troops Command) and all three Paratrooper Battalions changed to Airborne Infantry Battalions (BIAT), this new Army Airborne Brigade was bigger and more powerful due to the previous Air Force Light Paratrooper Brigade, they had replace heavy mortars with 105 mm artillery guns and were equipped with light armor vehicles.
In territorial terms the BOTP1 was closed and BOTP2 changed name to São Jacinto Military Area, the units of the brigade that were not at Tancos (Airborne Support Battalion) or São Jacinto (2th BIAT) were now been garrison at Army barracks (Regiments) like 15th Infantry Regiment at Tomar (1st BIAT), 3rd Infantry Regiment at Beja (3rd BIAT), 4th Artillery Regiment at Leiria (Grupo de Artilharia Aerotransportada - Airborne Artillery Group), 3rd Cavalry Regiment at Estremoz (Esquadrão de Reconhecimento Aerotransportado - Airborne Recon Squadron) and others.
BAI Orbat:
15th Infantry Regiment: 1st BIAT, Services and Support Battalion
São Jacinto Military Area: 2nd BIAT, Anti-Tank Company
3rd Infantry Regiment: 3rd BIAT
4th Artillery Regiment: Field Artillery Group
ETAT: Aeroterrestrial Support Battalion
Tancos Airfield: Signals Company
Engineering Pratical School: Engineering Company
3rd Cavalry Regiment: Recon Squadron
1st Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment: Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battery
[edit] The new Elite Forces brigade
The last reorganization of the Army though, changed the ETAT designation again to ETP - Escola de Tropas Páraquedistas (School of Parachute Troops) with the BAI being renamed and reorganized as BRR - Brigada de Reacção Rápida . The Airborne Troops Command was disbanded, now the airborne forces are under direct control of regular army commands like the Land Forces Operational Command (operational units) or the Instruction Command (ETP - Paratrooper School).
This new brigade is no longer a full deployable brigade, it's an organic brigade that controls all the special trained army units. The 3rd Airborne Infantry Battalion and Anti-Tank Company were disbanded and the other two BIAT were renamed Paratrooper Infantry Battalions (BIParas), the São Jacinto Military Area was renamed 10th Infantry Regiment, the Airborne Artillery Group and the Services and Support Battalion waere transferred to the Intervention Brigade and their no longer Airborne capable and the Engineering Company and the Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battery were reduce do Platoon size. This new Rapid Reaction Brigade joint all remaining Paratrooper units together with Army Special Operations and the reborn battalion size Army Comandos unit. Finaly a newly form unit has joint BRR, its UALE (Army Light Aviation Unit), is waiting to be equiped with NH-90 TTH and a still to be chose light utility helicopter, possibily the Eurocopter EC-635 or the AgustaWestland A109.
BRR Orbat:
15th Infantry Regiment: 1st BIPara
10th Infantry Regiment: 2nd BIPara
ETP: Aeroterrestrial Battalion
Commandos Troop Center: 2 Commandos Companys
Special Operations Troop Center: Special Operations Forces
Tancos Military Airfield: Army Light Aviation Unit, Signals Company
3rd Cavalry Regiment: Recon Squadron
Engineering Pratical School: Engineering Platoon
1st Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment: Air Defence Platoon
[edit] Selection
[edit] General Conditions
- Be a volunteer
- Be a Portuguese citzen
- Be at least 18 years old and 24 at the most for enlisted ranks
- Be psycophysically and physically fit
- Minimum height is 1.60m for males and 1.56m for females
- Clean criminal registry
- Minimum school grade required is the 9th for enlisted, 12th for NCOs and a college degree to officers
[edit] Admission tests
- Medical exams
- Sensorial exams
- Psiphysical exams
- Biographic questionary
- Psicological interview
- Physical tests
[edit] ETP Courses
[edit] Formation Courses
- Basic Instruction.
- Complementary Instruction.
- Pathfinder Auxiliary Course.
- Parachute Maintenance Course.
- Air Supply Operator Course.
- Trainer of Military dogs.
[edit] Qualification Courses
- Parachute Course.
- Airborne Basic Course.
- Airborne Operations Course.
- Parachute Instructor Course.
- Free Fall Course.
- Operational Free Fall Course.
- Free Fall Instructor Course.
- Manual Jump Master Course.
- Pathfinder Course.
- Air Supply Instructor Course.
- Air Supply Inspector Course.
- Airborne Equipment Tecnic Course.
- Airborne Equipment and Parachutes Maintenance Course.
- Complementary Paratrooper Course (officers and sargeants).
- Complementary Paratrooper Course (soldiers).
[edit] Organization
The ETP is made of the following units:
- Instruction Battalion: responsible for the forming of paratroopers. (Recruitment, Parachute course, Combat course, etc)
- Aeroterrestrial Support Battalion:
- Airborne Equipment Company
- Airborne Supplying Company
- Pathfinders Company
- Airborne Activity Center
- War Dogs Center
- Engineers Platoon
- Anti-aircraft artillery Platoon
- Heavy Mortars Platoon
- Anti-Tank Platoon
- Selection of Parachute Troops Center
