Infantry Corps training

INFANTRY CORPS TRAINING UNDERWAY

By Charlene Williamson

Snow and sub-zero temperatures were just some of the challenges Combat Corps Training soldiers faced on the recent Southern Warrior exercise in Tekapo.

The first major exercise of their corps training, Southern Warrior focused on open country terrain with section level live field firing during the day and night.

Officer Commanding MAJ James Martin said the exercise helped to develop the soldiers’ skill levels under duress.

“In addition to developing soldiers’ close combat skills in an open country terrain setting, this exercise helped to develop their resilience through a sustained period of physically challenging tactical activity,” he said.

It was also a chance for instructors to train them in a tactical environment, and assess their current skill level and provide soldiers with detailed feedback.

MAJ Martin said Depot Company is piloting a new system of assessment for Corps trainees.

“The new assessments are designed to give soldiers the best opportunity to master the required skills in each phase and provide their instructors a clear, consistent method of assessing,” he said.

The assessments outline the ten required field craft skills that need to be demonstrated in the three assessed phases (open country, close country and urban terrain) with examples of behaviours that need to be demonstrated for each skill. The assessments are divided into three parts with the first two parts being observation reports and the third part being the final performance report.

“The observation reports are completed by the instructors after the build-up training and mid-way through the tactical exercise and each report is given to the students with a verbal debrief on its contents and is then followed by a deliberate period of retraining.

“This system benefits our corps trainees as they have clear feedback and training throughout the phase on known standards, and instructors have clear standards to train their soldiers to,” said MAJ Martin.

The soldiers will complete urban and close country exercises in the months to come before marching out with the coveted Red Diamond badge of the New Zealand Army in late October. Combat Corps Training provides combat capable soldiers to Regular Force units.

BEING THE BEST – 2/1’S TOP SOLDIERS

By Judith Martin

Physical and mental resilience, resourcefulness and soldiering skills were put to the test when 120 soldiers competed for the 2 nd /1 st Battalion’s Top Soldier Award recently.

Privates Sam Edlinton and Keegan Cassidy of Alpha Company won the competition. “I was tired at the end of it, but pretty stoked to have won,” said PTE Cassidy.

The event was held over three days, and the final teams covered 75.5 kilometres. Over the next 72 hours the soldiers’ skills and endurance were tested at 29 different stands by day and night, across complex terrain including forestry, urban areas, trench systems and on a live firing ranges.

The winning soldiers, who are mates, slept for just six hours in total throughout the competition.

PTE Cassidy said the first two days were straightforward, but the last one “required a lot more thinking”.

“There were different assaults through different areas, with lots of different challenges thrown at us. You had no idea what sort of scenario you might walk in to.” PTE Edlinton said for him the hardest part was the technical phase where they had to recall a lot of data relating to military vehicles and weapons. “There were times when we would be tested on the capabilities of our different weapons and equipment, as well as recognising other military’s equipment.”

Competition organiser Staff Sergeant Joseph van Arendonk said Top Soldier not only recognised and rewarded the Army’s best private soldiers but also tested them, and provided information on the Battalion’s most junior rank’s individual training and skill levels.

“By conducting a competition that tests a wide range of individual and pair’s core skills under arduous physical and mental conditions it allows the battalion to see exactly where we need to improve and focus our war fighting training.

“As soldiers we will never and should never operate as individuals. There will always be a mate or comrade there to help with any given task. Changing the competition from a purely individual run event to one that is conducted and competed for in teams of two, is more in keeping with how we do business on the battlefield. It allowed us to test and access the teams on a wider range of core skills that cannot be conducted as an individual, such as pairs fire and manoeuvre, room clearance drills and crew served weapon skills.”

The winners wear a gold 2/1 patch on their uniform, have a gold bayonet on parade and their names go on the new Top Soldier trophy. They will also conduct a week’s training with the SAS.