Army insight for pupils through walk week

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 11, Issue 533, 26 April 1994, Page 12

Army insight for pupils through walk week

National Walk-Week was again this year the impetus for a week-long programme of walks by pupils of Waiouru school to a number of units in the military camp. The programme gave the children the opportunity to see a variety of places, some of which are where Dad (or Mum) works. The aim in 1994 was to involve more units and for groups of children to be guided around those units that would be of interest to a wide range of age-groups. The school visited the hospital, where two 'Shortland Street' look-alikes showed how the ambulances, wards and hospital generally ran; 16 Field Artillery where a display of setting up, ranging, firing and dismantling of '105' was given; and the Fire Station where the children were able to clamber over the appliances, man the hoses and generally have a great (wet) time playing at firemen! On the Tuesday it was off to Queen Alexandra' s Mounted Rifles where they were given the chance to climb over and through APCs and a Scorpion, and see the workshop staff flat-out maintaining the

machines, then over to 4 Transport Unit for a ride up Tank Hill in three Unimogs. Thursday morning was a trip to 4th Field Workshops where they were shown around the different sections - mechanical, engineering, a recovery vehicle and the armourer's section. In the afternoon they were shown around 4 Field Supply company which included a very interesting session with the bomb-disposal equipment and safety rules in the training area. Both the 800 Man Mess ahd the Block 3 Kitchens were visited and it interested the children to come to grips with the feeding such huge numbers of people. Those who were able were sent to the School Of Regimental Training parade ground to watch the passing-out parade of the Juiiior NCOs - a good example of how walking can be done. The Form 1 & 2 classes completed the week by walking down to the Queen Elizabeth II Museum to see the plans and work already done on the Kippenberger Pavilion, and the proposed extensions in the Army World development.