Dominican Republic and Haiti: Country Studies

Dominican Republic and Haiti: Country Studies
Cristobal nearby (see fig.
7). The second brigade, with headquarters
in Santiago, has three administrative and two tactical
battalions, the first in Santiago and the second, a Special Force,
in the central mountains at Constanza. The third brigade is an
administrative brigade at San Juan in the west. One of its battalions
patrols the frontier with Haiti. The fourth brigade has its
headquarters in Valverde. One of its two battalions patrols the
northern part of the border with Haiti. The fifth brigade has
headquarters at Barahona, with one tactical and two administrative
battalions scattered in the southwest. The sixth brigade
is designated as combat support. It has five battalions—artillery,
armor, medical, engineering, and transportation—and
quartermaster services. The seventh brigade is designated as a
training brigade.
One independent battalion, headquartered at San Pedro de
Macoris, has four companies stationed at provincial capitals at
the eastern end of the island. A mixed tactical battalion of
army, navy, and air force infantry units headquartered in Santo
Domingo reports directly to the secretary of state for the
armed forces. It includes a mixed Special Forces unit trained in
antiterrorism.
The army's principal small arm is the German G3 7.62mm
rifle. Its armored assets include twelve French AMX-13 tanks
and twelve American M-41A1 light tanks, all mounting 76mm
guns. Eight Cadillac Gage V-150 Commando armored vehicles
and twenty half-tracks serve as armored personnel carriers.
The artillery units maintain twenty-two 105mm towed howitzers
and are also equipped with 81mm and 120mm mortars
(see table 12, Appendix). Most of the foregoing weapons date
from the post-World War II period, and their present operational
utility is considered doubtful.
Army enlisted personnel receive basic training at the Armed
Forces Training Center near San Isidro, ten kilometers east of
the capital. Advanced and specialized training is also provided
to relevant units. Officer candidates are required to be highschool
graduates and to meet strict physical requirements.
Officer cadets attend the four-year Military Academy at San
Isidro. A six-month course for infantry captains and lieutenants
is conducted to prepare young officers to function as company
commanders. Senior officers attend the Armed Forces Staff
College in Santo Domingo to prepare for battalion-level and
higher commands.
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