Waiouru Major gets MBE

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 2, Issue 30, 15 January 1985, Page 1

Waiouru Major gets MBE

Major Ray Seymour, the officer commanding the Regular Force Cadets at Army Training Group, Waiouru, is one of two army officers to be awarded M.B.E.S in the New Years honours list, in recognition of their distinguished military careers. He is an ex-Cadet of 1963 and the only Cadet ever to return to command the boys. Major Seymour has held the post for three years. It is usually only held for two years by the same officer, but he's not complaining, "it's the best job in the army that I've ever had," he says. But the night before the new intake of Cadets arrived last week would have been the last time Major Seymour sat down to dinner with his wife and two children for a long time. "When the boys are working seven days and nights a week, so am I," he says.

After graduating from the Regular Force Cadet School, Major Seymour became an instructor at the National Service Training Unit, Waiouru. Then in 1966 he was section commander for the first batallion in Malaysia. Between 1966 and 67, he went to South Vietnam and back to Malaysia several times. While in Vietnam, he was injured by an enemy mine and spent most of 1968 in hospitals in New Zealand. In 1969, Major Seymour became the Officer of the Cadet School in Portsed, Australia. He was then the adjutant of Army School in Waiouru before being posted to Burnham, Christchurch. In 1980 he became the Company Commander for the first batallion in Singapore. In 1982 before he was posted to A.T.G. Waiouru, he served at the Armes Forces community college in Kuala Lumpur. Major Seymour enjoys working with the Cadets "because I'm dealing with young men who are keen and eager to do their best, they respond well, are highly-motivated, well disciplined when given guidance

and most turn out to be really good soldiers and citizens." Before gaining entrance into Cadet School, the boys have to go through a series of tests where such characteristics as leadership and academic qualities are looked for, as well as sportirig attributes and motivation — "the good,' clean-cut Kiwi kid," says Major Seymour. "And there are a lot of them around." 1 19 boys were accepted this year, out of over 1,000 applications. The boys get a good grounding in the army from thiscourse, Major Seymour believes. "The course aims at speedy movement through the army — they usually accelerate through the ranks faster." The boys learn much during their year-long course, including aspects of human relationships and multi-cultural studies. The Major believes he has an advantage in commanding the boys in that he has been through what they are doing. "It's great being able to give back something 1 gained from my course."