No time for Army cadets in test

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 6, Issue 242, 10 May 1988, Page 5

No time for Army cadets in test

A three phase orienteering exercise was the latest test of map reading and navigational skills for the officer cadets of Army Training Group, Waiouru. Cadets took to an area of back country along the Desert Road known as Shepherd's Hut, around 10km north-east of Waiouru last Thursday . On the agenda was a three stage orienteering exercise, including one under cover of darkness. The group stayed overnight in bush and completed their final exercise on Friday morning. Phase One: Exercise 'Pontoon' - cadets navigated through selected checkpoints. Like the card game, each 'contestant' had to obtain a total of 21 points to win the race. To make it harder, they had to complete the exercise in under three hours. Anyone accumulating more than 21 points lost. Phase Two: Relay Orienteering - teams of four are selected. Like running a relay, each team member completed their section before the next team member began. Players navigated three checkpoints.

The team finishing first won the race. (To make it more difficult, this exercise was run at night.) Phase Three: Score Orienteering - Cadets navigated a number of select checkpoints in a given

time. In this instance four hours. The exercise was designed so it was virtually impossible to complete in time! To the south of the base camp was gentle hill country. To the north - steep and rugged country with scattered close bush areas. The 38 officer cadets had to call on all their classroom training in theory navigation to complete the course. All cadets carried with them a Steyr rifle loaded

with blanks. This was a standard safety procedure, as a means of signalling in the case of injury or if disoriented. It was a supreme test of endurance to complete each phase in the given time. Officer Cadets Tim Dunwoodie and Ahmad Azahar arrived back from Exercise Pontoon with only seconds to spare. "I've never run like that before in my life," puffed

OC Dunwoodie, who arrived back red-faced and exhausted. OC's Janet Hunt, John Ivil and Brett Rankin were still nowhere to be seen when the time came to leave. (We passed Miss Hunt jogging tiredly along the access road, on the way ouL She was already late for the "deadline", so we let her continue on her way.) Next 'Army Life': The Officer Cadets' visit to Wellington.