Gunners get ahead

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 10, Issue 453, 15 September 1992, Page 12

Gunners get ahead

Two Australian artillery officers believe their training at the School of Artillery in Waiouru will put them six months ahead of their counterparts. Lieutenants Tucker and Mohks are students on the Regular Force Royal New Zealand Artillery (RF RNZA) Young Officers course. As the top scoring artillery officers to graduate from Duntroon Military College they were selected to train in New Zealand. "The New Zealand Young Officers course is considered more detailed," said Lt Daniel Tucker. "You do things which we

wouldn't cover until the phase two course a year later". RF RNZA Young Officers is run once a year at the School of Artillery. The 10-week course teaches the basic skills of an artillery officer and includes two live-firing exercises. The regular force battery, 161 Bty, will deploy from Linton to support these. The 1992 course is the smallest with just two New Zealand officers. It is the third time Australians have participated. Lt Tucker and Lt Monks are determined to take advantage of the opportunity.

"The NZ Army is very professional," explained Lt Tucker. "They seem to be very well organised. The instructors are more professional yet a lot more relaxed. At home I'd call a Captain Sir, here it's by first name." Equipment and procedures differ little between the armies and crosstraining enhances the in-ter-operability of the two forces. Two NZ artillery officers will be selected to attend the Australian Army's next Young Officers course at the School of Artillery in Manly in six month's time.