Mozambicans, Marines enjoy combat fitness test together 

Under the powerful rays of the African sun, Marines and their Mozambican counterparts ran sprints, hurled dummy grenades, lifted and carried 30-pound ammunition cans, and zigzagged through obstacles while dragging and fireman carrying their comrades.  

U.S. Marines with Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, and soldiers from the Armed Forces for the Defense of Mozambique (FADM) participated in the Marine Corps’ Combat Fitness Test together during Exercise SHARED ACCORD 2010, Aug. 6, in Moamba, Mozambique.  

“I’m going to teach this combat fitness test to other soldiers,” said FADM Pvt. Iassine Saide, a soldier with the Army Command Center. “The test taught us some great resistance exercises and diverse military skills.”  

The Marines were very motivating, according to Saide. He also liked how the test was about more than simply building muscles.

“They never stopped encouraging us,” said a smiling Saide. “They were always pushing us to run faster and never stop. I lifted the ammo cans 80 times in two minutes.”  

The Marines of H&S Co., 2/25 - from Sgt. Maj. James T. Adams, battalion sergeant major, to Lance Cpl. Conrad Haye - said they enjoyed sharing their Combat Fitness Test with the Mozambicans.

“They really put out some good effort,” said Haye. “It’s difficult getting used running the test in cammies (boots and utility pants), but they picked up real quick and performed great.” 

Shared Accord mentoring objectives include the Marine Combat Fitness test, staff training, small unit tactical training, and humanitarian civic-assistance programs to include medical services, dental services, and engineering projects. A task force of more than 700 U.S. service members will be working closely with their Mozambican counterparts for the duration of the 10-day exercise. The team, comprised largely of reserve Marines, began arriving at Maputo’s largest military base, July 29.

Shared Accord is an annually scheduled, bi-lateral U.S.-partner nation event. It is designed to build partner nation capacity for peace and stability operations.  Previously, SA has taken place in locations such as Benin, Ghana, and Senegal. The exercise is coordinated by U.S. Africa Command’s Marine component, U.S. Marine Forces Africa.  The exercise is scheduled to conclude on or around Aug. 13.  All troops will return to their home bases in Europe and the U.S. at the end of the exercise.