Army gets back to core roles of soldiering in Exercise Torokiki

New Zealand Army personnel are returning to their core business of military service after two years of helping fight the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Army is conducting its first major exercise this week in Manawatu since the completion of Operation Protect, the Defense Force’s Covid-19 response.

Exercise Trokiki is held at the Linton Military Camp and Raumai Ranges west of Bulls on Rangitikei. This is a milestone in the Army’s five-year rehabilitation plan.

Soldiers work on core combat skills, junior leadership, and the mental and physical challenges of personnel.

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Land Force Commander Colonel Duncan Roy said about 1,000 soldiers from across the country had taken part.

“We got to spend time together today in a challenging environment where we can connect. [and] Back to the soldier’s core business.

“[It’s] It’s really aimed at the individual and junior level, so we work in sections, groups of 10 people, and there are a variety of activities to give people the difference in experience of being in the military.

As part of Operation Protect, many soldiers have stepped away from their regular duties and instead been involved in the operation of controlled isolation and quarantine facilities.

“We were busy in hotels for MIQ facilities and we were happy to do it. That is what the government wanted and what the country needed.

“It’s nice to be able to put it behind us and turn around and see the soldier’s core business and get back to it.

“We are a very young organization and people come and go.

“Some of the people who have attended over the past two years didn’t get the chance to do this, so it’s exciting and really cool to be able to do it.”

Prior to Covid-19, the Army had never conducted exercises on this scale, but Roy said he wanted to make a statement with everyone and take this as a basis before next year’s more complex training. I got

Next year, soldiers will undergo specialized training in logistics, signaling, combat, and more.

The exercise was divided into five days, with a variety of activities, and personnel were forced to work with “good basic skills” regardless of the company they belonged to.

They also talked about the culture and spirit of the military.

Roy has heard many positive comments from soldiers about working together and participating in unique experiences.

“Whether it’s shooting at the range in Raumai, or being a good soldier like you see here, or the more unorthodox things we do, like pitching tents in the water, we’re going to use them. It’s just some challenging things designed to really fine-tune mental skills and teamwork.”

Training sessions included live shooting sessions, medical training, and passage through an obstacle course.

There were training simulations in which soldiers would walk through shipping containers and shoot targets using new forms of electronic blanks. It was offered by a Norwegian company and was seen as a cheaper option than regular blanks.

At Raumai, they worked with live fire and NH90 helicopters.

Sergeant Jack Colton is an instructor for medical sessions designed to refresh combat first aid skills and work as a team.

During the session, the soldiers pretended to be wounded, wearing make-up to resemble bloody wounds and loud crying, and had to be treated.

Soldiers were also taught how to use tourniquets.

Live-fire exercises at Linton’s firing range provided soldiers with training in the use of Glock pistols, firing at targets from a variety of ranges and positions to familiarize themselves with the weapon.