Latest news with #ReserveForce
Scoop
2 hours ago
- General
- Scoop
Reserve Force Soldiers Hone Their Combat Skills In Annual Waiouru Exercise
More than 300 New Zealand Army Reserve Force soldiers from around the country have tackled sub-zero temperatures at Waiouru for a crucial annual activity to ensure they are combat-ready and can integrate seamlessly into the Regular Force. They joined more than 70 Regular Force personnel in the Waiouru Military Training Area for Exercise Tauwharenīkau, which wound up recently. The nine-day combined arms collective training exercise includes intelligence-driven and action-based missions based on a simulated conflict scenario centred on unrest on a fictional island in the South Pacific. The lead unit for the exercise was New Zealand Army Reserve unit 5th/7th Battalion, Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment. Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Colonel Shaun O'Connor, said the exercise prepared Army Reserve personnel to surge and embed seamlessly into 1st (New Zealand) Brigade when required. 'The work that goes into maintaining combat readiness is at the heart of what we do as an organisation, giving us the skills, tools and resilience to respond to any situation when called upon,' Lieutenant Colonel O'Connor said. 'Reservists are trained to the same standard and meet the same operational levels as their Regular Force peers, and bring a valuable diverse mix of backgrounds, expertise and skillsets to the Army.' Currently, more than 2,000 Reserve Force soldiers stand ready to support the Regular Force. Assistant Chief of Army for Reserves, Colonel Brendon Jull said the exercise proved the Reserve Force doesn't just contribute high-quality personnel to Army but was integral to delivering its operational outputs - both at home and abroad. 'The fact that the NZ Army can run this exercise while concurrently deploying close to 700 New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) personnel to a major Australian exercise (Exercise Talisman Sabre) highlights the NZDF's ability to deliver large-scale, integrated operations across domains, services and nations.' Lieutenant Colonel O'Connor said the Reserve Force was hoping to deploy a company-sized group to the next iteration of Talisman Sabre in 2027. 'This year's Exercise Tauwharenīkau was intended to replicate the scale and complexity of the kinds of operations soldiers would be likely to encounter once deployed overseas.' The exercise operated under a combat framework that includes a command-and-control centre, a light infantry rifle company made up of three 33-soldier platoons, and combat support units including engineers, signallers, mounted armoured capability, intelligence specialists, medics and dental specialists. The exercise also incorporated operational support from the Royal New Zealand Air Force's (RNZAF) No. 3 Squadron NH90 helicopters and No. 40 Squadron C-130J Hercules aircraft. The exercise also featured an Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) detachment from both the Army's 16th Field Regiment and the RNZAF, as well as infantry support dogs, explosive detection dogs and a mounted reconnaissance section – the Waikato Mounted Rifles. Reserve Force training typically occurs once a fortnight or monthly. Reserve Force soldiers can also take part in all NZDF exercises, both nationally and internationally, based on time availability and skills required.
The Citizen
27-06-2025
- The Citizen
Reserve Force members allegedly defraud SANDF of R1.1 million
More than 90% of the SANDF's reserves do not have alternative employment and do not receive an income if they are not called up. Six South African Defence Force (SANDF) Reserve Force members appeared in the Pretoria Commercial Crimes Court on Thursday for fraud. According to NPA spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana, reserve force member Thandile Ndevu, 33, SANDF human resources clerk Khanya Ndevu, 29, Avuyile Ndzuta, 30, Thembisile Dlamini, 36, Thozamile Herbert Loni, 45, and Yonelisa Gova, 33, face 53 charges collectively for allegedly defrauding SANDF of R1.1 million. Thandile, Khanya and Avuyile are cousins, while Dlamini and Loni are married and Gova is said to be friends with Thandile. ALSO READ: Motshekga dismisses allegations of 'rampant ill-discipline' in SANDF Thandile is facing 53 counts of fraud or theft and 53 counts of money laundering. Khanya and Dlamini are each facing 11 counts of fraud or theft and 11 counts of money laundering. Ndzuta is facing 10 counts of fraud or theft, and 10 counts of money laundering. Gova is facing 21 counts fraud or theft and 21 counts of money laundering. Ghost workers Thandile's responsibilities as a reserve force member under the HR unit included calling reserve force employees for service, capturing on the system the On Strength reserve force members who report for duty, as well as capturing their banking details on the system. Between July 2018 and July 2019, while performing her duties, Thandile allegedly captured details of SANDF reserve force members as though they were called up (reported for duty) and replaced their banking details with those of her co-accused, where the payment for service was made. ALSO READ: Over 2 700 'old' SANDF personnel released, but new recruits will depend on funding 'This was discovered after one of the complainants in the matters whose details were used went to do her tax filing at the South African Revenue Service (Sars) and discovered that she had two IRP5 forms she needed to submit instead of the one she had brought. The complainant allegedly went back to the SANDF to enquire when the other four ghost workers were discovered,' said Mahanjana. 'The complainants then reported the matter to the Pretoria Central police station, and the matter was then transferred to the military police for investigation. After investigations by the military police, the six accused persons were summoned through J175 summons.' The case was postponed to 15 August 2025 for plea and trial. SANDF cash-strapped In March, the Reserve Force Council (RFC) briefed the parliamentary portfolio committee on defence and painted a grim picture of the Reserve Force's operations due to budgetary constraints. More than 90% of the SANDF's reserves do not have alternative employment and do not receive an income if they are not called up. ALSO READ: Defence budget cuts 'impact Reserve Force capability' 'In the past, when we did not have any budgetary constraints, this was not an issue because reserve force members were called up continuously and were guaranteed a salary,' said Brigadier-General Zoleka Niyabo-Mana at the time. The Reserve Force has also been struggling to keep up with the training of its members as required when they are deployed. 'You must always have combat-ready forces because when you have to deploy them, there is no time for training. However, we have been struggling with the continuation training required to ensure they remain combat-ready due to budgetary constraints,' said Niyabo-Mana. 'There are not sufficient funds for us to call up reserves at times, train them and utilise them. So the services are always balancing whether you call them up for training or to utilise them.' The committee heard that the reserves are also ageing, as no new members have been recruited in the past six years. READ NEXT: SANDF budget constraints: Not enough soldiers at the border, reserves getting older
Borneo Post
05-06-2025
- Politics
- Borneo Post
KK to host 37th Territorial Army Commanders' Conference June 18
Tun Musa (second from right) posing with Razief (second from left) and the delegation. – Information Department photo KOTA KINABALU (June 5): Kota Kinabalu will host the 37th Territorial Army Commanders' Conference (SKAW) Series 2025 on June 18. Assistant Chief of the Reserve Force, Major General Datuk Mohd Razief Che Ahmad, said Kota Kinabalu is the first location for the conference this year, following Perlis at the end of last year. 'This commanders' conference is held twice a year, and for this year, the first session will be in Kota Kinabalu. The purpose of this meeting is to discuss matters related to strengthening the Territorial Army (AW) in terms of operations, administration, logistics and more,' he explained. 'That is what we will discuss to ensure the Territorial Army continues to improve in the future,' he added. According to Razief, the conference will be attended by 16 Territorial Army commanders from across Malaysia. 'The Territorial Army Commanders' Conference will be attended by 16 commanders, all holding the rank of Colonel or Brigadier General, from all over Malaysia who will gather here for the meeting,' he said during a media briefing after paying a courtesy visit to Sabah Governor Tun Musa Aman at Istana Seri Kinabalu on Thursday. He added that his visit aimed to invite Tun Musa as the guest of honor at a dinner event held in conjunction with the conference. 'Following the conference, we will hold a dinner in collaboration with the State Government, and we have also invited Tun Musa as the guest of honor at the event,' he said
Otago Daily Times
14-05-2025
- Health
- Otago Daily Times
Drill to prepare for threat of Alpine Fault rupture
NZ Army medics learn how to work in different environments during a training exercise in the Pisa Conservation Area. PHOTO: SUPPLIED Imagine the scenario. New Zealand's largest fault line, the Alpine Fault, has just ruptured in Central Otago's Pisa Conservation Area. A man, hypothermic and barely conscious after being found in a creek bed, is carried to a New Zealand Army medical detachment for treatment. While specialists begin treatment, others prepare a tent to stabilise the man before emergency services arrive. Luckily, this is only a training exercise conducted by about two dozen New Zealand Army medical personnel. The mountain rescue drill took place at the Snow Farm Nordic Ski Area. Perched high in the Pisa Range, the site was chosen for its remoteness and existing infrastructure. Though only a drill, it reflected a genuine threat, as scientists estimate a 75% chance of a magnitude 8.0 or stronger Alpine Fault quake within 50 years. Most participants were part-time Reserve Force medics with civilian experience alongside a small number of Regular Force personnel. In a statement, Deployable Health Organisation commanding officer Lieutenant-colonel Glen Whitton said alpine exercises offered a unique chance to adapt to altitude and isolation. "Medical training is normally focused on combat scenarios. "However, we assist in humanitarian and disaster relief in New Zealand and the Pacific. "The likelihood is we will be called on to respond potentially to humanitarian and disaster emergencies," he said. The teams, each made up of a commander, doctor, nurse and two medics, practised two response methods. One method used a mobile detachment that drove a New Zealand Army Pinzgauer vehicle to reach casualties quickly. They erected a portable 11m x 11m tent and delivered treatment under basic conditions. The second detachment used existing hard-standing buildings, operating from a remote alpine hut. Senior medic and training facilitator Sergeant Danny Freestone said the medical detachments were designed to triage and stabilise a patient on or near the location of their injury, giving them a higher rate of survival. "Once stabilised, ideally emergency services would extract them from the location to the nearest hospital." — APL
Otago Daily Times
24-04-2025
- Health
- Otago Daily Times
Medic unit train in Central for Alpine Fault scenario
Medics of the New Zealand Army's Deployable Health Unit as they adapt to the environment of the Pisa Conservation Area. PHOTO: SUPPLIED The scenario — the Alpine Fault, New Zealand's largest fault line running 600km along the South Island, has just ruptured. Found lying in a creek bed in Central Otago's Pisa Conservation Area, hypothermic and barely conscious, a man is carried to a nearby New Zealand Army medical detachment for treatment. Two medical specialists administer initial treatment, four prepare the 11m×11m tent where the man will be stabilised before emergency services arrive. While it may just be a training scenario for the 27 New Zealand Army Regular and Reserve Force doctors, nurses and medics from the Deployable Health Unit, scientists had predicted a 75% chance of a magnitude 8.0 or higher quake striking along the fault. The Snowfarm Nordic Ski Area was specifically selected for its infrastructure and remote environment. The majority of personnel attending the training recently were part-time Reserve Force medics, many of whom work or study in the medical field. Commanding Officer of the Deployable Health Organisation Lieutenant Colonel Glen Whitton said alpine training gave personnel a unique opportunity to adapt to working at altitude and in isolated areas. "Medical training is normally focused on combat scenarios. However, we assist in humanitarian and disaster relief in New Zealand and the Pacific. "The likelihood is we will be called on to respond potentially to humanitarian and disaster emergencies." The teams which consist of a commander, doctor, nurse and two medics practised in different ways to respond. One saw teams deployed as a mobile detachment where they would travel closer to casualties in a Pinzgauer vehicle. The teams would set up an 11m×11m tent where medical treatment was administered under basic conditions. The other detachment occupies hard standing buildings and in this case operated from a remote alpine hut. "The medical detachment is designed to triage and stabile a patient on or near the location of their injury, giving them a higher rate of survival. Once stabilised, ideally emergency services would extract them from the location to the nearest hospital," senior medic and training facilitator, Sergeant Danny Freestone said. — APL
