The Safe And Fuel Efficient Driving Scheme will pay for the training of 200 instructors to teach advanced van driving techniques - and will then fund lessons for 3, 500 drivers.

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The first of four Malian battalions are training under European instructors at the Koulikoro base some 60km (37 miles) from the capital, Bamako.

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At the least, driver training in the U.S. could benefit from adopting the European practice of using professional instructors rather than the ad hoc supervision currently afforded by moonlighting high school teachers.

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Italy's lower house of parliament approved sending 15 to 24 military instructors who will work alongside the European Union in training Malian forces.

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Instead of vast maneuver grounds and lots of instructors and equipment, soldiers can train with small but high-tech gear such as Dismounted Soldier Training System, or they can practice techniques, such as squad tactics or IED recognition, using a training game on a laptop or even smartphones.

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