Reacting swiftly, meticulously and with an eye for detail helped win Top Recruit Award

Private Lutge moved from South Africa when he was 24 and nearly 10 years later he’s taken the leap to become an infantry soldier for 3/6 Battalion based in Auckland.

“I’ve had an interest in serving in the military since I was at high school.  My dad, step-dad, uncles, teachers, and friends all went through compulsory military training, and my dad served in Angola a number of times.

“I think he has taken a bit of pride in how I’ve gotten through this.”

Recruits learn a wide range of skills including weapons training, navigation, field craft and first aid.  They are introduced to the first level of the New Zealand Defence Force Leadership Development Framework, Lead Self.  The framework progresses through various leadership courses which are part of the NZDF culture, encouraging each rank level to actively embrace change and responsibilities.

The 33-year-old, who lives in Orewa, was selected as Top Recruit from 90 graduates.

Although Private Lutge had realistic expectations of recruit training, it was the short amount of time to achieve a task with the expectation of it done well which was the challenge.  With an eye for detail, he quickly realised he needed to react swiftly and meticulously through a task to have it completed to the best of his and his section’s ability.

“I’ve worked on quite a few high-end houses where attention to detail is very specific, right down to the millimetre.  During Reserve Force training we may only have half an hour to complete a task so not a lot of time for error nor for me to perfect a skill.”

To mitigate any possible frustration from that, Private Lutge took a different approach.  Recognising the need to reach a timing with the task completed, he’s focused on practice and striving for excellence.  Practice to raise his standard to his expectations while meeting the timing set by his Section Commander or Platoon Sergeant.

“I reminded myself it was going to be a lot of hard work but it’s only six weeks.  It’s important to give it everything you have until you get back home.

“The biggest thing for me was making sure my wife was happy to hold the fort.  She’s been really supportive,” he said.

“There’s been a lot of timing changes which we’ve needed to adapt to, much like the building trade.  I’ve learnt to adjust and adapt to these changes and this will cross over to my civilian employment.

“The award came as a surprise to me.  I focused on what the instructors said and drew on their experience.”

Read more about joining the New Zealand Army Reserve Force(external link).