PARATROOPERS of GUATEMALA

The Guatamalan Army airborne force began in 1960 with the formation of a Parachute Platoon. By 1963, the force was expanded to a parachute company, and in 1967 a paratrooper military base was established at San José's Port. The base was given the name of General Felipe Cruz in homage to a patriot of the military revolution of 1871. The airborne force was further expanded to battalion level strength in 1971.

By 1988, a full-fledged school was in operation for the training of paratroopers. The three week course essentially parallels that of the jump school conducted by the U.S. Army at Ft Benning. Similarly, the 34 foot tower is extensively employed.

Once airborne, the training parachute jumps from aircraft are made at 1,200 feet.

Beyond jump training exists further training for the Kaibiles, who are known as the “Killing Machines" of the Guatemalan Army. The Kabil unit was named in honor of “Kaibil Balam,” a king of the Mam empire that never could be captured by the Spanish conquerors. Formed in 1974, the Kabil unit was initially organized for a military-political objective -- to recover the territory of Belize for Guatemala.

At a special training center in the region of Poptún, north of the capital of Guatemala, is the sign, “Welcome to hell,” that greets trainees of of this elite force. They are put under eight grueling weeks of training in extreme conditions where they learn a wide variety of military skills. Thriving on eating snakes, ants and roots, and catching drinking water from the dew in leaves, the trainees conduct severe training in irregular warfare while crossing water obstacles, marshes.

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