The Haitian Armed Forces (FAd’H) are seeking to expand their ranks in order to better fulfill their mission at a time when the country’s public security forces are struggling to contain criminal groups. A new class of 665 military recruits began training on July 5 at Vertières Base and will constitute “the Army’s first shock unit,” according to Defense Minister Mario Andresol.

This new FAd’H class will undergo training for four months, with the possibility of extending it to six months because we intend to make them the Army’s first shock unit, equipped with the appropriate matériel and equipment, the Defense Minister told Le Nouvelliste in an interview on Thursday.