7 September 2006
by James Heffield
Gunfire erupts as a man carrying an assault rifle storms into a remote Afghan village and opens fire on a group of New Zealand soldiers conversing with locals during their routine patrol. The New Zealanders quickly withdraw, covering each other just as their staff sergeant has instructed them to in a situation such as this. The mock exercise, carried out in Tekapo on August 7, was one of many worst-case scenarios the next rotation of the New Zealand Provincial Reconstruction Team (NZPRT) has been undergoing before their deployment in Afghanistan next month. The 108-strong NZPRT, made up of Army, Navy and Air Force personnel, will be the ninth rotation of New Zealand Defence Force service men and women to travel to the sub-continent.They are undergoing a pre-deployment training programme which has been modified based on past NZPRT experiences.
“Our training has been changed to cope with the evolving situation over there,” Senior National Officer Group Captain Kevin Short said. “Guys from previous rotations have been coming down here to offer their advice and help run scenarios.”
Specific training for personnel in specialised roles was also being undertaken for the first time while context and direct examples were being given to explain why the training they were doing was important, he said. All members of the ninth rotation to Afghanistan were doing five weeks of advanced combat training, group exercises, and cultural understanding classes before their deployment on October 24.
Air Force and Navy personnel arrived in Tekapo a week earlier to get in extra training because the operation is land-based. The rotation force will go to Afghanistan for six months to replace the men and women who have been serving in the country over the summer. The winter conditions faced by the upcoming rotation will be in stark contrast to the sun-baked desert and dust experienced by the current one.
The NZPRT aims to ensure security in the region, help in the distribution of aid, and promote nation building.