The Sri Lanka Police has a history of more than 150 years. Since its inception, it primarily took on the role of crime prevention and crime detection. This nation witnessed an insurgency from the South and years later from the North.
In the early 1980s, police stations in the Northern and Eastern Provinces came under attack from LTTE cadres. At this juncture, there was a need for the then Police Department to have a rapid response force with enhanced firepower. It was the late Ravi Jayawardene who fully understood the need to fill this lacuna and laid the foundation for the Police Special Task Force (STF). He is still venerated as the founding father of the STF. His visionary leadership prompted him to take bold decisions amidst challenges, to set up the STF Training Academy in Katukurunda.
I have been privileged to be associated with this academy for many years. Its location and different forms of natural terrain are ideally suited for this kind of rigorous training. The school compound is bestowed with dense foliage and small hills which replicate a jungle environment, as the STF often finds itself in the similar theatre of combat. During my preliminary visits I was guided by the then Director - Training, Superintendent of Police Athula Daulagala (presently SSP/Deputy Commandant). How does a young man or woman qualify to become an elite police commando? After a recruit enters the school, his educational certificates are verified along with other documents. He is paired with a ‘buddy’ – another new recruit. I was given a camp orientation with Sub Inspector Dilshan Kudahetty. The academy is a massive area and includes an armoury, stores, library, gym, swimming pool, firing range, parade ground, mess (meal hall), hospital, salon, administration office, temple and accommodation billets.
The entire compound covers 65 acres of land that has a mixed terrain with jungle thickets, rock formations and fields. Our first stop was at the stores where an Inspector issued a blue drill overall, boots and blue beret to every new recruit. They also receive a mess tin (utensil to eat), a poncho (military style raincoat), backpack, rope and a groundsheet. One of the first series of lectures for the recruits is to appreciate and understand the history of the STF, the law and its implications, the court systems, the Evidence Ordinance and criminal proceedings. Another key subject is taught by Sub Inspector A.M.S. Rajitha. He teaches recruits to use the compass and GPS (Oregon 650) systems and read maps which are vital for reconnaissance. This is an important element of training when small STF teams are deployed to attack the enemy, travelling long distances from the safety of their home base.
Physical and mental wellbeing is paramount to produce a robust batch of police commandos. It is assumed that a young recruit would burn 2,500 calories per day. At boot camp, a refreshing mug of tea is served at 5.30 am, after which a range of physical training is carried out. A glass of milk is served at 8.00 am. This is followed by breakfast at 8.30 am. The recruits eat and barely talk at the table. Theory sessions are conducted in classrooms until 12.30 pm and the young men and women adjourn for lunch. The men and women have their own intakes. The next break is at 3.30 pm for tea and after a rigorous day on the field in the scorching sun, dinner is a looked forward to meal dished out at 7.30 pm. Each trainee has so much of information to process, as they learn many new topics. At 9.00 pm, a roll call is done by the platoon OIC to ensure that all have survived the day and remain ready to take on the following day.
The next segment is the most crucial for any recruit - learning the lessons of commando tactics. Tactics are crucial to achieve a given mission objective with a team. Tactics also include fieldcraft: the way of moving in the jungle silently as an effective platoon. I was taken into the dense foliage by Sub Inspector L.H. Silva, a veteran tracker who showed me how to blend in with the trees and bushes. Mosquitoes buzzed around us. In real life combat scenarios, STF teams have encountered poisonous snakes, scorpions, deadly spiders, bees and elephants.
We joined a six-man foot patrol moving with caution. At the helm is the lead scout who always maintains a 160-degree field of vision. He must remain alert using hand signals to caution the others. The second is the cover man: his task is to provide cover to the scout. The section commander is in position 3, followed by the communicator who carried a Cougar manpack VHF radio. He relayed real-time feedback to the base. The medic is flanked by the last man on the team who carried a light machine gun. The heat and mosquito stings test your patience. Jungle training is carried out for 14 days. The police commandos are also taught helicopter drills. Ambitious recruits master the basics on how to board and exit a helicopter, with their weapons primed and ready. The STF are the pioneers of Small Team Operations in Sri Lanka. Their formidable Cheetah Teams contributed significantly throughout the conflict era. Today the Cheetah teams are ready to respond to other threats.
At the end of this exercise, we were joined by the academy’s Chief Instructor, Chief Inspector Gihan Gunaratne who explained the technique of ‘harboring’ which is a position of resting. A poncho (raincoat) is spread on the ground. A second poncho is attached on top using a rope. This makes a tent-like shelter where two team members can rest, as two others stand on duty. These are the risks when operating in hostile environments. Returning to the administration block, I observed a Drill Instructor (DI) Sergeant. Under his tutelage, recruits learn to salute. It is the role of the DI to maintain discipline. In the evening, we headed to the firing range. I had anticipated witnessing this as the firearms training of the STF is world class. An experienced instructor emphasized the need for safety at all times. Issuing an automatic rifle like the M-16 or T-56 to a recruit is done carefully. Marksmanship is not only about hitting the target, but requires discernment and temperament to discharge the weapon.
Special Task Force recruits do practise ‘dry’ runs of loading a T-56 rifle. STF men and women must be able to shoot accurately from three positions: prone, kneeling and standing. Additional firing is done in the jungle-training segment. At 8.30 pm, training ended for the day. The young trainees were surely feeling tired, but their eyes resonated with determination. This firing is later augmented with advanced weapons such as Light Machine Gun (LMG), MPMG and 60mm mortar. After breakfast on Day 2, I entered the classroom of the Explosives Branch. Inspector P.R.S. Bandara taught a class on the basics of searching a human for concealed weapons or explosives. Recruits realized the impact of various exploding devices from a hand grenade to deadly claymore mines. The young men and women also learn first aid and communication. Both these subjects are vital, especially, when sent on a danger-laden mission.
After two months at the training school, having enhanced their fitness, trainees begin the Assault Obstacle Course, which has 15 formidable challenges. This tests every muscle in your body and your mind’s coordination. Amongst the obstacles, the recruits had to crawl under razor-sharp barbed wire, climb onto a net and walk carefully on the trapper lines. Now sweating and pumped up, they began stepping with speed on swinging logs, a 90-degree ‘Iguana’ wall – a real challenge and finally a jump across a nine-foot wall. For those later advancing to specialized teams, paratrooper training is conducted with the assistance of the Air Force. Water survival courses are conducted by the Navy.
STF Commandos learn the art of abseiling and rappelling using ropes and metal harnesses from a 54-foot tower, a test of endurance. On completion of basic training, the recruits take part in a passing out parade and wear the coveted Green Beret which is a symbol of national pride. These young men and women have been tried and tested. Their willpower is enhanced in a manner which sharpens their thinking and decision-making. Teamwork is inculcated to achieve solid results as the STF is called upon to intervene into dangerous situations. The present STF Commandant is DIG Waruna Jayasundara and the Director Training is Superintendent of Police R.A.A.K. Rathnayake. The gradual transformation of a recruit into a resilient Special Task Force commando is a journey of determination.
