NEW ZEALAND FORCES

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 238, 2 July 1920, Page 8

NEW ZEALAND FORCES

STAFF CORPS VACANCIES AVAILABLE TO PERMANENT N.C.O.'S The Defence Department.has.instituted a. system whereby members of the New Zealand Permanent Staff will have ftn opportunity of gaining admittance- to tho 'Staff Corp3. Previous to 1911 entrance to the Staff Corps was obtained 'by a test courso conducted at Tauherenikau, the successful candidates being posted to tho corps at its termination. Since, that time a P"

pointments to tho Staff (Corps have been , made through' the Koyal Military College, Duntroon, Australia, a limited number of vacancies being offered each year, and competed for by candidates of between 17 and 18 years of age. It has lately been- decided, however, tp offer u few vacancies annually in the Staff Corps to candidates from 'the Permanent Staff by competitive examination. This examination will be similar in principle to that of the candidates from Duntroon. for it is recognised that members of the Staff Corps must possess a high educational standard if they are to carry out their duties successfully. As the endeavour of the Defence Department is to restrict the size of its Corps and permanent staff, the number of vacancies .offered in the .Staff Corps to members of the permanent staff will be small, but sufficient to give 'the most efficient and best, educated sergeant-majors an opporfcunity of entering the Sta.fi without passing through Duntroon College. In future, candidates for the permanent staff will also be .required t« pass a competitive examination.' By means of these examinations, which .will bo held in July of each year, the Defence Department will be able to obtain officer's and n.c.o.'s for its permanent , forces of a high standard of education, and who will be otherwise efficient and , suitable for the responsible duties they . will be called upon to perform. The . first examination for entrance to the t Staff Corps will be held towards the end , of this month. I The system of examinations for promo- ' tion in'the Staff Corps has been rolntrop duced in the Dominion, and is similar to t tha f carried out for officers in the Im- . perial Army. Such an examination will , be hold in April, 1921. The papers will be een,t out to New Zealand from the I War Office, and will be Totnrned to Eng- , land for marking. , The half-yearly examinations for hrst appointments to commissions in the Territorial Force and for promotion of Territorial officers will commence at General Headquarters School, Trentham; on- the third Tuesday in August.