Epitome of the naval power of Colombians in the Atrato (2014)

“Any course is good for those who do not have a destination port.”

– Anonymous

In 2014 the navy leadership consolidates an elite unit to reinforce the war against counterterrorism and counter illicit drug trafficking; the Colombian Marine Corps Riverine Battalion No.16. (wolfpack BFIM16). Implementing a strategy of excellence in operational development to contribute to the regional security of the Atrato, with an ideal combat structure, applying a persuasive leadership philosophy, executing a balanced operational cycle and with an effective organizational culture. 

One of the enemies to be fought is the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC terrorist group – fronts 57 and 34), of the whose main criminal activities are drug trafficking and illegal mining. The current scenario of peace dialogues in 2014 does not distract the wolfpack BFIM-16 team for a single moment from its effort to increase the operational capacity of this tactical unit and thus, effectively contribute to the fulfillment of the warfighting mission. «Qui desiderat pacem praeparet bellum«, who wants peace prepares for war (Flavius Vegetius Renatus). This is the objective, to keep combat units at an optimal readiness level so that they respond forcefully to the demands of the national objectives.

Other threats to the Colombian State in the Atrato region are armed groups organized outside the law such as BACRIM (in spanish bandas criminales), legal warfare, and transnational crimes. To better combat these threats, the members of the wolfpack BFIM-16 level down and confirm the objectives of the War Plan Espada de Honor. Through their actions in the combat field, they strengthen the centers of gravity of the BFIM-16 strategy, such as preserving the legitimacy of the Military Forces and protecting the population. In this way, the tactic developed by this riverine unit, day by day, reinforces the national strategy.

Organization for combat – structure

As a fundamental element of the TITAN Joint Task Force, BFIM-16 maintains control of the medium and lower Atrato, in its more than 500 navigable kilometers, from Quibdó to the mouth of the Urabá Gulf, with two riverine combat groups.

Twenty six riverine units are organized for combat in two Riverine Combat Groups as part of the naval power the BFIM-16 has to deny the use of the Atrato River to the enemies of State; 2 heavy riverine support patrol boats; ARC Londoño and ARC Senen Araujo, together with a mobile fluvial support station located in Vigía del Fuerte, guarantee the logistic communication lines for this complicated fluvial responsibility; 5 LPR riverine patrol boats , two of these put into service in 2014, were designed and built-in COTECMAR with tactical and technical characteristics that have turned them into forceful weapons of war for the development of operations, 6 riverine combat elements , 4 armored personnel carriers and 9 small riverine support boats.

For the execution of direct-action missions, the Riverine Assault Company is organized with 5 Riverine Assault Groups, two of these with vertical assault capacity to surprise the enemy in their hidden bowels when the dominant intelligence provides the appropriate conditions.

The unit’s logistical support, under the responsibility of the Combat and Support Command Company, has suitable personnel and an ideal infrastructure for the maintenance and recovery of river units. Likewise, at the time the Marine Corps Command had just completed the improvement of the habitability conditions of the command post, delivering modern facilities that optimize the rest of the organic personnel of wolfpack BFIM-16.

The battalion has an Advanced Riverine Post, in Matuntugo, strategically located at the river mouth of the Atrato and in the heart of the Urabá Gulf, allowing it to be a platform for the launching of operations, as well as an ideal base for training in fluvial, maritime and amphibian environments, without any restrictions for the execution of long range weapons exercises.

Maintaining a strong combat organization at all levels preserves the unity of command and strengthens leadership, a key success factor.

Operational Cycle

«How we train, we fight and how we fight we train”. With persuasive leadership, in which subordinates assume their positions with commitment, the commanders are responsible for the readiness of their combat unit, the development of operations with the personnel under their command, and the recovery of troops and material. 

A judicious effort in planning all the activities carried out by this tactical unit is essential to achieve success in every way;plan for the worst and hope for the best. The operational cycle is the main planning tool to maintain the unit’s operational readiness at a peak level. Three phases are proposed in the operational cycle; training, operations, and recovery.

1. Training

The training is the first phase, it is permanent and has a pre-deployment certification of two weeks and is the responsibility of the commanders at each and every level. The Readiness Support and Assessment Team (ESEV acronym in spanish) performs the pre-deployment assessment and certification, as a guaranty for  the Commander of the tactical unit of the readiness level of each of the units that are ready to be employed in phase two, Operational Availability.

The training includes the current doctrinal aspects, the prevailing behavior of the enemy and his modus operandi. With the sole intention of keeping the historical memory alive, the lessons learned with negative results where the key factors of success have been transgressed are carefully analyzed. The takeaways of this study are put together in the program called «Total Censorship», which includes 8 ways of dying and are of absolute knowledge to all the marines of the BFIM-16, so they become aware of negative procedures in the area of operations and avoid  making the same mistakes in the future. 

2. Operations

Units start the operational readiness phase after the Commander of the tactical unit presides over the pre-deployment ceremony making sure that once they have completed the training they are at an ideal readiness level for the fulfillment of the assigned mission.

It is in this phase where the training is put into practice. To maintain an offensive attitude and deny tactical advantage to the enemy, the operational  Chameleon, Tarpon, and Reactor have been designed, which optimize the execution of tactical maneuvers and become potentiators of the key factors of success.

3. Recovery

A mandatory operational leave and at the unit level, that is, each fundamental unit leaves together, is a priority to improve the well-being and maintain the unity of command.

In addition to the rest of the personnel, the recovery phase contemplates the maintenance of the fluvial units which is planned by the Commander of each unit with the coordination of the battalion maintenance officer.

The maneuver at the basic and squad level represents strategic importance within the operations plan, therefore the mentality of the members of the organization is that of a member of an elite unit, where aspects such as teamwork, camaraderie, conviction, example, and honesty are the attributes worthy of their actions.

The greatness of organizations depends on the magnificence of the human talent that makes them up. The members of the BFIM16 internalize this premise and concentrate the effort of the decision-making process on the optimization, administration and planning of human resource.

One of the mottos that the unit professes is that of Fe en la Causa (Faith in the Cause), which emphasizes the importance of carrying out actions facing the Almighty and creator of life, with the conviction that if acting is under the institutional principles and values, the consequences of this effort will always be the best and the results will be reflected in the achievement of the proposed objectives.

This is how the members of the BFIM-16 proudly conformed a Unit with all the conditions for success and that represented the naval power of the Colombians in the Atrato in 2014.