A year in the life of officer cadets

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 6, Issue 233, 1 March 1988, Page 9

A year in the life of officer cadets

What's life really like in the New Zealand Army? Ask that question of the seasoned professional soldier and the new recruit: both will have different perspectives of Army life. We have posed the question in this new on-going weekly feature on life as an officer cadet at Waiouru. Our column beginning seven weeks into the 1988 course. Five recruits were chosen to represent a cross-section of the 43 officer cadets in the 12month commissioning course. Their profiles appear separately. The commissioning course march-in o n January 8 signified the start of a new life for the young men and women selected. The course is made up of 3260 periods with the year divided into a junior and senior term. The training year i s punctuated by four field training periods: • Junior Class Field Week, to confirm basic individual skills taught soon after arrival in the unit; • Senior Class Field Week, to provide the six month senior class with the opportunity to consider and solve practical leadership and tactical problems tutorially, in the field, in preparation for M i d Term Fielding Training; • Mid Term Field Training, to provide the new junior class with a practical introduction to minor tactics at section level in a platoon setting and provide the senior class cadets with the opportunity to fill a number of command appointments while requiring them to solve tactical problems at platoon level in a company setting; • The Final Exercise, held in May and November each year, based on a counter-in-surgency and conventional setting respectively, designed to

promote the junior class cadets to the senior class. It is also the final opportunity to solve practical leadership and tactical problems in the field to consolidate their knowledge. In addition to classroom instruction and field training the course includes visits to various New Zealand Army establishments and a visit to Australia. Course Supervisor Col. Mike Hughes said past courses indicate that between 60-70 per cent of officer cadets successfully complete the 12 month course to graduate into specific areas of command. By the same token, about 30 per cent do not make the grade and are then given the opportunity to join the regular army as a soldier. The main reason for failing, he said, was not from lack of effort on the cadet's part. "The person may not believe that he has the necessary leadership qualities," he said. "Anyone who isn't interested in trying would be weeded out early in the course." Cadets are offered every opportunity t o "make good", according to Col. Hughes. During the course they are assessed very closely by their instructors and a board of study. Their progress is taken into consideration, weaknesses are identified and the cadet is promptly advised where to look to improve. The aim is to give the cadets the knowledge necessary to fit them for service as officers and to foster the moral and mental qualities upon which leadership depends. John Geoffrey Ivil, 23, of Waiouru (ex Hastings). Schooling: Hastings Boys High School 19781980. Educational Standards Reached: School Certificate - English, Maths, Economic

Studies, Geography, Science. Previous Employment: Military Service since Jan 1981 - RF Cadet School JanDec 1981, 1 Tpt Regt Dec 1981-Jan 1984, 2 Comp Sqn Jan 1984Dec 1987, OCdt Jan 1988-present. Hobbies: Indoor basketball, squash, tennis, running. Janet Deniece Hunt, 21, of Taupo. Schooling: Rosehill College Jan-Dec 1980, Te Awamutu College Jan-Dec 1981, Tauponui-A-Toa College Jan 1982-Dec 1984, Waikato University Jan-Dec 1985. Educational Standards Reached: Higher School Certificate - English, Accounting, Economics. 1st year paper - Philosophy, Sociology, Psychology. Previous Employment: Cook at Downstairs Restaurant Feb-Dec 1986, 12 months OCS (injury) as a clerk at Linton. Timothy Alexander Dunwoodie, 18, of Auckland. Schooling: Auckland Grammar School 1983-1987. Education Standards Reached: 7th Form - English, Physics, History, Accounting, Geography. Previous Employment: Part-time at food bar May-Dec

1987. Hobbies: Windsurfing, skiing. Ahmad Azahar, 25, of Brunei. Schooling: Malay Secondary School 1976-1979. Education Standards Reached: 'O' Level - English, Maths, History, Technical Drawing. Previous Employment: Military service since 1979 - Boys Coy 1979-1981, Force Wksp 1981-1987, OCdt 1987-present. Hobbies: Golf. Brett James Rankin, 20, of Hokitika. Schooling: West-

land High School 19811985, University of Canterbury 1986-1987. Educational Standards Reached: B Bursary - Pure Mathematics, Applied Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Accounting. 1st year BA - Political Studies, Psychology, History, Statistics. Previous Employment: General hand at Westland Milk Powder Factory Nov 1985-Mar 1986 and Nov 1986-Mar 1987. Hobbies: Rugby, chess, Kung Fu, basketball, tennis, athletics.

Following are some questions and answers from our first meeting with the five cadets: Bulletin: W h a t have the last seven weeks been like for you? IVIL: "Quite interesting - every second is precious." RANKIN: "A bit of a pain. It's been pretty intense." Is it demanding? DUNWOODIE: "At times. We're still learning the ropes, trying to remember all the regulation stuff." IVIL: "When you go to bed at night, you sleep! It's pretty high pressure." What made you want to join up as an officer cadet? DUNWOODIE: "Temporary insanity." HUNT: "It seemed like a good idea at the time." IVIL: "The commission at the end." Do you fear failure? DUNWOODIE: "We're all too busy ironing pants and shirts t o worry about it." Any problems so far? DUNWOODIE: "The main problem is the sort of fitness level we're supposed to be at." IVIL (agreeing): "I

think the change in altitude affects you too." HUNT: "We haven't really known what to expect. It depends a lot on the individual how you cope." Is fitness a problem? IVIL: "It's a different level of fitness. You might have worked yourself quite hard and thought you were fit but when you get here it's a lot more demanding." RANKIN: "There's a set grade of fitness you have to reach to make it with the rest." (To Ivil) How do you find being the only one married in the class? IVIL: "It's pretty tough. At least I get to go home weekends now that the first part's over." "Girlfriends and wives aren't encouraged to visit. If they turn up it makes it tough on you." (To Azahar) How does the New Zealand army compare with Brunei? "It's a bit different. Uniforms, tanks and some of the weapons are different here. There are nearly 300 officer cadets in the Brunei Army - 3000 soldiers in the army and airforce." NEXT WEEK: AUSTRALIA