Lebanese Army Skiing and Mountain Fighting School
Encyclopedia
The Skiing and Mountain Fighting School ( Madrasat al-Tazaloj wal Kital feiljibal) is part of the Lebanese Armed Forces
. The school is located in the mountainous area of Cedar
(Arz), in Mount Lebanon
, and is mainly responsible for conducting ski and combat in mountains sessions.
had founded a ski team of both French
and Lebanese
soldiers; they rented a place in Bsharri
and trained at the cedars. In 1935 they moved to the cedars Grand Hotel until the foundation of the school in 1937 by the French army. Since the foundation of the school the French army started training the Lebanese soldiers. However in 1940, Arz military base was handed over to the Lebanese Army, and was called the Skiing School and was directly linked to the Lebanese Army High Center for Military Sport
until it became independent on May 1, 1986.
mountains, mountains which represent the height, in addition to the depiction of Cedar
trees (the symbol of the nation) and two laurel leaves representing gratitude.
Lebanese Armed Forces
The Lebanese Armed Forces or Forces Armées Libanaises in French, also known as the Lebanese Army according to its official Website The Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) (Arabic: القوات المسلحة اللبنانية | Al-Quwwāt al-Musallaḥa al-Lubnāniyya) or Forces Armées Libanaises in French, also known as the...
. The school is located in the mountainous area of Cedar
Cedars of God
The Cedars of God is one of the the last vestiges of the extensive forests of the Cedars of Lebanon that thrived across Mount Lebanon in ancient times. Their timber was exploited by the Assyrians, Babylonians and Persians as well as the Phoenicians...
(Arz), in Mount Lebanon
Mount Lebanon
Mount Lebanon , as a geographic designation, is a Lebanese mountain range, averaging above 2,200 meters in height and receiving a substantial amount of precipitation, including snow, which averages around four meters deep. It extends across the whole country along about , parallel to the...
, and is mainly responsible for conducting ski and combat in mountains sessions.
History
Although the school was founded in 1986, however in 1934 the French armyFrench Army
The French Army, officially the Armée de Terre , is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces.As of 2010, the army employs 123,100 regulars, 18,350 part-time reservists and 7,700 Legionnaires. All soldiers are professionals, following the suspension of conscription, voted in...
had founded a ski team of both French
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
and Lebanese
Lebanese people
The Lebanese people are a nation and ethnic group of Levantine people originating in what is today the country of Lebanon, including those who had inhabited Mount Lebanon prior to the creation of the modern Lebanese state....
soldiers; they rented a place in Bsharri
Bsharri
Bsharri , is a Lebanese town at about 1,450 m of altitude, near the Kadisha Valley. It is located at , in the Bsharri District of the North Governorate. Bsharri is the town of the only remaining Original Cedars of Lebanon...
and trained at the cedars. In 1935 they moved to the cedars Grand Hotel until the foundation of the school in 1937 by the French army. Since the foundation of the school the French army started training the Lebanese soldiers. However in 1940, Arz military base was handed over to the Lebanese Army, and was called the Skiing School and was directly linked to the Lebanese Army High Center for Military Sport
Lebanese Army High Center for Military Sport
The High Center for Military Sport is a Lebanese Armed Forces sports center, established in 1943, and is concerned with maintaining the physical fitness of soldiers, organize sports championships, and prepare soldiers for local and international competitions....
until it became independent on May 1, 1986.
Important dates
- In 1957 the Lebanese president Camille ChamounCamille ChamounCamille Nimr Chamoun was President of Lebanon from 1952 to 1958, and one of the country's main Christian leaders during most of the Lebanese Civil War ....
, the Iranian ShahMohammad Reza PahlaviMohammad Rezā Shāh Pahlavi, Shah of Iran, Shah of Persia , ruled Iran from 16 September 1941 until his overthrow by the Iranian Revolution on 11 February 1979...
and his wifeFarah PahlaviFarah Pahlavi is the former Queen and Empress of Iran. She is the widow of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the Shah of Iran, and only Empress of modern Iran...
, visited the school. - In 1962 the school has accomplished a searching mission of trouble makers who took refuge in mount TannourineTannourineTannourine is a Lebanese municipality located in the Batroun_District, part of the Mohafazah of North-Lebanon, 75 km from the capital Beirut.-Etymology:...
. - In 1963 till 1975 the school organized the international military championship of ski and Lebanese championship.
- In 1969 a successful searching mission was accomplished after they found soldiers lost in Sheikh mountains.
- The school participated in international ski championship in IranIranIran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
, NorwayNorwayNorway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
(1974), SwitzerlandSwitzerlandSwitzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
(1975), FinlandFinlandFinland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
(1982), Norway (1999), AustriaAustriaAustria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
(2000).
- Every year the school participates to searching missions and rescue missions of persons lost and blocked in snow weather.
- The school trains every year sessions of ski and combat in mountains to many troops of the Lebanese army.
- The school participates to all Lebanese and military championship.
Mission
The mission of the school include:- Missions of combat in mountains in all weather conditions.
- Training sessions of skiSkiA ski is a long, flat device worn on the foot, usually attached through a boot, designed to help the wearer slide smoothly over snow. Originally intended as an aid to travel in snowy regions, they are now mainly used for recreational and sporting purposes...
and combat in mountains. - Missions of searching and rescue of people lost and blocked in snow weather.
- Participation in the organization and formation of the children of the army camp in summer.
Capabilities
The trainees participate in combat in all weather conditions to search and rescue people lost and blocked in snowy weather. Training sessions of ski and combat in mountains are delivered, in addition to several participations in international and local military championships.Emblem
The symbol of the school is constituted of a skiing soldier representing the combat in mountains and searching mission, white representing the purity of the snow of the LebaneseLebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
mountains, mountains which represent the height, in addition to the depiction of Cedar
Lebanon Cedar
Cedrus libani is a species of cedar native to the mountains of the Mediterranean region.There are two distinct types that are considered to be different subspecies or varieties. Lebanon cedar or Cedar of Lebanon Cedrus libani is a species of cedar native to the mountains of the Mediterranean...
trees (the symbol of the nation) and two laurel leaves representing gratitude.
See also
- Fouad Shehab Command and Staff CollegeFouad Shehab Command and Staff CollegeThe Fouad Shehab Command and Staff College is a Lebanese Armed Forces facility that functions as a graduate school for the Lebanese Army in addition to other Arab armies. It was originally established in 1974 as the Center of Higher Military Education...
- Military AcademyMilitary academyA military academy or service academy is an educational institution which prepares candidates for service in the officer corps of the army, the navy, air force or coast guard, which normally provides education in a service environment, the exact definition depending on the country concerned.Three...
- Lebanese Army Teaching InstituteLebanese Army Teaching InstituteThe Teaching Institute also known as the Training Institute is a Lebanese Armed Forces training center, first established on August 7, 1961 as a teaching school in north Lebanon. However, it has been restructured, reconstructed, and reorganized many times throughout the years of Lebanon's civil war...