Tough test for officers

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 10, Issue 486, 18 May 1993, Page 7

Tough test for officers

T wenty New Zealand Army officers put their career prospects to Ihe test when they elected to take part in the first Operational Evaluation Board held in Waiouru recently. The Operational Evaluation Board (OEB) takes the place of the Grade Two Testing Board which was used to make recommendations on an officer's suitability for promotion to the rank of substantive Major and for further training at an overseas staff college. The new OEB is held over three days. Candidates present solutions to four varied problems. Preparation time for the tasks varies from two to four hours with 45 minutes to present the solution and be questioned by a panel of selected board members. In the past testing was conducted by the full board and was limited to tactical problems. "The Grade Two Testing Board was purely a tactical view. A logistics officer couldn't show how good he was in his own field. It wasn't really a balanced test of an officer' s ability in all spheres," said Major Rhys Jones, Offensive Operations Instructor for Waiouru's Tactical School. Now officers are tested in the areas of logistics and staff work in addition to tactical problems at both Brigade and Battalion level. "Some officers were able to demonstrate that they had a good knowledge of tactics in spite of one or two errors in calculations or judgements. For example, an error in assessment •of timings, while potentially serious in reality, could be viewed against a well explained and otherwise sound plan. Similarly, some plans - and their presenters - disintegrated after 15 minutes of questions, but they may have been able to survive the earlier Testing Board for long enough to disguise their shallow knowledge," said Brigadier Bret Bestic who chaired the Board