KANNUR: Indian Naval Academy (INA), Ezhimala organised two concurrent novices’ training camps named ‘Rookie’ and ‘Barracuda’ for Naval Orientation Course (NOC), IInd term INAC (BTech) and IInd term Naval Orientation Course (Extended) cadets from October 4 to October 7. 282 Cadets including 17 women and four International Naval cadets from friendly foreign countries participated in these camps. The camps were aimed towards developing physical endurance, mental hardiness, dedication, more importantly camaraderie and team spirit in cadets under stressful environment.
All cadets including women trainees, as part of the exercises, undertook endurance runs, land navigation exercises, obstacle course, small arms firing, tent pitching, whaler rigging, whaler sailing and raft punting in Kavvayi backwaters. The cadets were divided into groups for Camp ‘Rookie’ and Camp ‘Barracuda’ and competed enthusiastically and vigorously for the coveted Camp banner. On the concluding day of the exhausting four-day camp, the cadets participated in a highly challenging triathlon, where they had to participate in a difficult run over 10 kilometers across various types of terrain in full battle gear, followed by an obstacle course run and swimming.
The four-day camp culminated with a camp fire at INA. Vice-admiral S.V. Bhokare, Commandant, INA awarded the camp banners to Fighter Squadron winners of the camp banners for camp ‘Rookie’ and Vice Admiral Murlidhar Sadashiv Pawar, awarded the camp banners to Braveheart Squadron winners of the camp banners for camp ‘Barracuda’.
