Flag lowered at training depot

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 10, Issue 441, 23 June 1992, Page 3

Flag lowered at training depot

BY

JAN

SAVELL

Staff paraded at 4.30pm last Friday to lower the New Zealand ensign for the last time at Headquarters Waiouru Training Depot. Waiouru Training Depot (WTD) has been under review since September last year. The decision to close the unit was accelerated by the urgent need to relocate some of the staff to other posts within the Army Training Group (ATG). "In my view the decision to down-size WTD is a sensible one given the relatively small throughput of recruits these days" says Major Ants Howie who has commanded WTD since October last year. At first it was proposed to increase the size of WTD by giving it more sub-units to command but this option was rejected and approval was given to reduce it to a sub-unit. The majority of HQ WTD staff have been re-assigned within the

Army Training Group. Other developments include the Army Adventurous Training Centre becoming an independent sub-unit and WTD's Junior Non-Commis-sioned Officer's wing joining the School of

Regimental Training. "As a unit WTD has made a huge contribution to the Army's training of recruits and of course will continue to do so as an independent sub-unit" said Maj Howie. The unit was named

WTD in 1978 when the Officer Cadet Training Company (OCTC, now OCS(NZ)) was raised under its command but it has existed since 1949 under a variety of names. WTD was known as Central Distriets Train-

ing Unit in 1949 when military training was compulsory. It became the National Service Training Unit for the balloted National Service Scheme in 1969, then Territorial Force Depot in 1972 when the

Territorial Force volunteer system was introduced. In 1976 the unit assumed responsibility for both Regular Force and Territorial Force training and was known as Recruit Training Depot until as-

suming command oi OCTC in 1978,. The Officer Cadet School is now an independent unit and the Regular Force Cadet School that was commanded by WTD from 1982 was suspended last year.