Pakistan Military Academy

The Pakistan Military Academy (PMA) is a military training institution for cadets seeking commissions in the Pakistan Army. It is located in Kakul, Abbottabad, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan and was established in November 1947. The academy is accredited by the National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST). The academy also trains international students; cadets and officers from 34 countries have trained there.

History

After the partition of British India in 1947, the British Indian Army was divided between the newly created states of India and Pakistan. Brigadier Francis Ingall, an officer of the now split British Indian Army, was selected by Field Marshal Sir Claude Auchinleck to serve as the first commandant of the Pakistan Military Academy.

A site at Kakul was chosen for the academy. The site had previously housed the British Indian Army's Physical Training and Mountaineering School, which also served as an operational facility for the Royal Indian Army Service Corps. The school had been established in a former POW camp used during the Boer War in 1902.

Ingall structured the Pakistan Military Academy on the model of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and requested a regimental sergeant major from the Brigade of Guards to assist with training. He received support from several former British Indian Army officers who had transferred to the Pakistan Army, including Lieutenant Colonel Attiqur Rahman and Major S. G. Mehdi, MC, the first PMA adjutant and founder of Qasim Company, who later commanded the Special Service Group (SSG) of the Pakistan Army.

When the dispute over the accession of Jammu and Kashmir led to armed conflict between India and Pakistan in late 1947, Ingall adapted the Academy's training to the conditions faced by the Pakistan Army to prepare new officers for a largely mountainous and open terrain and to create a new officer class for Pakistan. Ingall was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) after completing his term as commandant in 1950. He was later honored with a namesake lecture theater at Kakul, Ingall Hall, constructed after his departure. Ingall kept in touch with the academy for the rest of his life with various visits. During his final visit in November 1997, he said:

"I have given many addresses from this position here, and from 1948 to 1951, I was very keen on the question of Pakistan and believed in it. I believed what the Quaid-e-Azam preached. I believe in Islam".

On 15 October 1947, 67 cadets arrived from the Indian Military Academy (IMA). New cadets for the 1st PMA Long Course (78) and the 1st Graduates Course (63) were selected in Pakistan, and training officially began in January 1948 with 208 cadets. On 25 January of the same year, the First Pakistan Battalion was established. Its four companies were named after prominent figures in Muslim military history: Khalid, Tariq, Qasim, and Salahuddin. In March 1948, the first battalion received the patronage of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, who became its Colonel-in-Chief, and the battalion was subsequently designated "The Quaid-e-Azam's Own."

Entry process

Cadet selection is conducted by the Inter-Services Selection Board (ISSB) through assessment centers across Pakistan. Applicants must pass medical, fitness, and aptitude evaluations to be eligible for admission.

Physical requirements

Gentlemen Cadets (GCs) are required to pass various physical fitness tests, the standards for which increase each term. The basic requirement for cadets of every term is to be able to complete a one-mile run (1.61 kilometers) in six minutes. The distribution of points is as follow:

• Under 5:30: 10 points
• Under 5:35: 9 points
• Under 5:40: 8 points
• Under 5:45: 7 points

5:45-5:59: 6 points . Other tests include push-ups, sit-ups, chin-ups, rope test, a five-mile (8 km) run, an assault course, and an exercise known as the "acid test." These tests evaluate the stamina and strength of a cadet.

In the "acid test," cadets begin by traversing a mountain while carrying logs on their shoulders. This is followed by a 14.5 km run in full gear to an obstacle course. Those completing the course are given five rounds to hit a target at a distance of 22 m.

LCs (Lady Cadets) are also required to pass physical efficiency tests similar to those of GCs, but the standards are slightly lower. The basic requirement for all LCs is to run one mile (1.6 km) in 10 minutes or less. Other tests include push-ups, sit-ups, bar hanging, assault course, and an exercise of Qiyadat (leadership) with GCs.

There are several training exercises for cadets, which include:

First term: Kick off, saluting tests, cross country, Sang-e-Bunyad,

Second Term: Yarmuk, Pathfinder, and the GCs are required to spend three minutes in the boxing ring.

Third term: T.M. raiders, Panipat, and assault course are also added as part of the PT tests:

Fourth Term: Qiyadat and the acid test.

Battalions and companies

For training, the Gentleman Cadets are organized into battalions and then further into companies. The Pakistan Military Academy has 16 companies, named after Islamic warriors and commanders. The companies under the 4th Battalion are named after four out of the eleven recipients of the Nishan-e-Haider, Pakistan's highest military award.

Courses

There are five types of courses (or curricular plans) that run parallel to each other. The types of courses are: the PMA Long Course, the Technical Cadet Course, the Integrated Course, and the PMA Lady Cadets' Course.

PMA Long Course

The PMA Long Course is for regular commissioned officers of combat and combat support arms & services. The Long Course has a duration of two years, which is divided into four terms of six months each. After the 2-year training period, cadets are commissioned as second lieutenants.

Technical Cadet Course (TCC)

Candidates who wish to join the army as an engineers apply for this course. Candidates are required to have completed 12 years of academic education, including courses in physics, chemistry, and mathematics. Candidates who are successful in all tests conducted for selection are then sent to a NUST institution for a Bachelor of Engineering degree, depending on the field they choose:

After completing their Bachelor of Engineering degree, the E-Cadets are sent to Pakistan Military Academy, Kakul, for one year of military training, after which they are commissioned as captains in their respective units.

Integrated Course (IC)

To be eligible for this course, a candidate must have attained 16–18 years of academic education with coursework in physics, chemistry, and biology. Candidates who pass the initial and GHQ Selection Board tests conducted by the army are sent to the Army Medical College for MBBS or for Bachelor of Dental Surgery, after which they undergo basic military training at the Pakistan Military Academy, Kakul, for 22 weeks. Apart from GCs of AM College, IC accepts cadets who are willing to join EME, Signals, RVFC, and Army Education Corps with a minimum master's degree in several fields. The IC has a duration of six months. Cadets graduate as captains.

PMA Lady Cadet's Course (LCC)

The Lady Cadets' Course was introduced in November 2006 and is designed for FA-qualified women who are professionals in their respective fields. The cadets undergo a training period of six months to become Captains in the supporting arms of the Pakistan Army.

Notable alumni

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

• General Rahimuddin Khan, Gentleman Cadet No. 1, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee
• General Muhammad Aziz Khan, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Chief of General Staff
• General Ehsan ul Haq, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

Chief of Army Staff

• General Raheel Sharif, former Chief of Army Staff (Pakistan)
• General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, former Chief of Army Staff (Pakistan)
• General Pervez Musharraf, former Chief of Army Staff and President of Pakistan
• General Jehangir Karamat, former Chief of Army Staff (Pakistan) and Ambassador to the US
• General Abdul Waheed Kakar, former Chief of Army Staff (Pakistan)
• General Asif Nawaz Janjua, former Chief of Army Staff (Pakistan)
• General Mirza Aslam Beg, former Chief of Army Staff (Pakistan)

Others

• Major Shabbir Sharif, NH
• Major Muhammad Akram, NH
• Captain Karnal Sher Khan, NH
• Major Aziz Bhatti, NH
• Brigadier Tariq Mehmood, SJ

Media

"PMA Passing Out Parade 29 April 2023". 29 April 2023. Retrieved 11 October 2023 – via YouTube.

Эх сурвалж: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)