Multinational Force & Observers, Sinai, Egypt
SGT J. Brookes, RNZAF, and SGT L. Leitch, NZ Army.
The welcome is of the first rotation for 2008, Sinai, Egypt. (WN-08-0037-35-tn).
The New Zealand Training and Advisory Team (NZTAT) continues to work hard in the Sinai, as it has done so for over 20 years. The eight-strong NZTAT makes up a significant part of the New Zealand Contingent of 26 NZDF personnel to the Multinational Force and Observers (MFO).
For those of you who aren’t aware, the NZTAT is comprised of an Operations Wing, and a Driving Wing. The Operations Instructors are responsible for training all MFO duty investigators (who can be called upon to investigate possible Treaty violations of Egypt or Israel), training all Remote Site commanders (who observe and report on the two nations activities), and conducting snap inspections of the Remote Sites to ensure they are operationally effective. The Driving instructors all aspire to be Operations Instructors, but otherwise are responsible for testing all personnel who drive an MFO vehicle, in addition to running courses for armoured land cruiser drivers, bus drivers, and unit Driving instructors. In addition to these primary tasks, both wings of the NZTAT also fulfil a large number of other roles which include:
- running range familiarisations,
- updating the MFO vehicle recognition documents,
- supporting MFO exercises (such as mock QRF call outs),
- and planning the Force Driving Skills Competition,
- and Force Skills Competition – comparable to a skill at arms competition.
Planning of the Force Driving Skills Competition has been one of the recent big tasks for the NZTAT, with the Senior Driving Instructor (SDI) and all Driving Instructors (DI’s) being heavily involved with this. Another big task has been updating the MFO recognition documents and material, which has fallen mainly on the shoulders of WO1 ‘Big Kev’ Foster (NZTAT TWO / NZCON RSM). This is a task he has embraced fully. One of the unique aspects to OP FARAD is the multitude of different nations that contribute to the mission. Despite the political differences between Fiji and New Zealand; in the Sinai, New Zealanders and Fijians work and socialise together on a daily basis. There are also contingents from Australia, Italy, France, Canada, The United States of America, Colombia, Norway (including the Force Commander), Hungary, and Uruguay. In the NZTAT’s training and advisory roles, we have daily contact with personnel from all of these nations during our duties. Aside from the obvious language barriers (eg: it’s a chilly bin, not an esky), to operate effectively we must also cross cultural barriers. During our time at the MFO, to help cross these barriers we have enlisted the assistance of WO2 ‘Tom Jones’ Takuira-Mita (SDI), and Sgt ‘I was a backup dancer for Michael Jackson’ Brookes (DI). Stunning individual performances from both of these have gone a long way to improving international relations. With six weeks left before half of the NZTAT return home, we all look forward to keeping up the hard work, and can only hope that SGT Brookes’ Ritalin prescription will arrive before then.