Dannevirke soldier oversees battalion training on his home turf

Lieutenant Colonel O’Connor is the Commanding Officer of 5^th/7^th Battalion, Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment (RNZIR), which covers the southern half of the North Island.

The battalion recently trained at Otoro Station, Te Uri, in the lead up to the annual Reserve Force exercise, Exercise Tauwharenīkau, which is held at Waiouru Military Training Area and involves up to 350 Reserves working alongside Regular Force soldiers.

“Driving around has certainly brought back some good memories,” he said.

5^th/7^th Battalion training had been focused on leadership and advancing soldier skills in preparation for the exercise, which would be a more intensive scenario, he said.

The unit was “on the right path” for the big exercise, he said.

“Exercise Tauwharenīkau will have a variety of units training together to enhance technical skills while using a range of weapons and capabilities. 

“We will be working alongside the Army’s Regular Force units and also the Royal New Zealand Air Force C-130 Hercules and NH90 helicopters.” 

Lieutenant Colonel O’Connor initially joined the Territorial Force at 7^th Wellington Regiment (City of Wellington’s Own) Hawke’s Bay Battalion. The battalion later amalgamated in 2012 with 5^th Wellington West Coast & Taranaki Battalion to become the battalion he now commands.

Soon after joining the Territorials, Lieutenant Colonel O’Connor headed to Officer Cadet School to begin a full-time career, before returning to the Reserve Force.

Lieutenant Colonel O’Connor said although Reserve Force personnel serve on a part-time basis, they have to be ready to support the Regular Force in anything from combat situations to humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.

“I wanted to create a combined arms environment with our training.  This means we work alongside different units such as the drone unit, the military working dog teams, and military intelligence. 

“This has assisted personnel to comfortably adapt to deployments such as with the NZ Army infantry training teams, teaching the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) recruits.”

NZ Army infantry training teams have taught the AFU recruits core skills for frontline combat, combat first aid, operational law, weapon handling, field craft, offensive and defensive operations, and marksmanship. 

They also teach trainees how to operate different weapons systems in various situations in urban and field environments. 

To those thinking of joining, he encourages “Take a step forward, don’t be scared of failure, it is a powerful way to learn, improve your skills and grow confidence in yourself.”

With nearly 35 years of Regular Force and five years of Reserve Force dedication, Lieutenant Colonel O’Connor says he’s had many amazing experiences both in New Zealand and on deployment overseas that have pushed him beyond his comfort zone . He has made life-long friends while doing so.

Growing up in the close-knit community of Dannevirke where rugby, mates and helping neighbours were his foundation to grow the core NZ Army qualities of dependability, resilience and friendship, he said.

Those early days provided him with the skills to easily adapt to life in the NZ Army, he said.

“My family have been outstanding on this journey, we’ve shared the experiences and my wife has been extremely supportive throughout.”