Army Major tops international course

Major Prouse, a reservist with the Army Training Group, has been awarded top student of the Joint Command and Staff Programme – Distance Learning (JCSP) at the Canadian Forces College in Toronto, Canada.

He also came top of the Advanced Joint Warfare stream and the final individual research paper during the two-year course, attended by 84 students – regular force and reservists – from the Canadian Armed Forces, Australia, Colombia, France, Germany, Jamaica, the US, and one other Kiwi from the Royal New Zealand Navy.

The two-year distance learning programme involved 10 to 20 hours per week of study at home, with assignments, essays, and online tutorials. At the end of each year the students attend a two-week residency in Canada.

It was a big challenge, says Major Prouse.

“I hadn’t done tertiary studies since my undergraduate years, so it was back to researching, long form writing, and adapting to the Canadian style as well. The content was challenging and stretching, going into a lot of detail.”

He had no idea he was heading for the top student spot.

“It didn’t feel like that at the start! Our instructor would release the class averages and mine was low to start with. And there’s a lot of smart people on the course. It was very competitive with high level discussions with our instructors and peers. You had to put the work in.”

What he realised and has since passed on to students of the next course, is how well New Zealand’s training system sets prospective students up for professional learning at this level.

“All the training you have received in the Army and New Zealand Defence Force makes you very competitive on this stage and gives you a lot to contribute. Everything you have learned or experienced on operations, whether in the regular force or reserves, puts you in a very good place and ensures you participate as a peer. This was very clear from the standard set by Lieutenant Commander Aston Talbot too, my other Kiwi comrade on the course.”

Major Prouse lives in Feilding and joined the NZ Army Reserve Force in 2003. He served in the Regular Force between 2014 and 2022.

“One reason the Canadians invite a lot of international students is to promote diversity and perspective. We and the Australians provide that Indo-Pacific viewpoint, while our cultural perspective through Ngāti Tūmatauenga, the New Zealand Army, brings a uniquely competitive edge.”