East Auckland electrician enjoys training for combat with Waikato Mounted Rifles

The 34-year-old, who grew up in Howick, joined the New Zealand Army in 2011 and was a member of Queen Alexandra’s Mounted Rifles Squadron until 2016. 

The former Pakuranga College student transferred to the Army’s Reserve Force while training as a ‘sparky’ and now balances his civilian work with a role as Troop Sergeant in the Waikato Mounted Rifles unit.

Sergeant Josephson says he enjoys the variety of training and range of equipment, including the military vehicles he gets to operate. 

“Waikato Mounted Rifles is one of the most well-equipped units.  We all have our own Night Vision Googles, our commanders are issued pistols and the crew have MARS-L’s.  We’ve got the MAG-58 machine gun and the Light Support Weapon in each vehicle.  We also achieve a Class 2 license to drive the Pinzgauer, UNIMOG and HX60.” 

Taking part recently in Exercise Tauwharenīkau on the Central Plateau, Sergeant Josephson stood in the weapon station of a Pinzgauer vehicle, head above the weapon mount, map in hand, talking over the radio to direct personnel to the next location. 

The annual exercise involved more than 300 NZ Army Reservists alongside more than 70 Regular Force personnel, including infantry, engineers, signallers, medics, dental specialists, mounted capability, combat support and intelligence specialists.

The Waikato Mounted Rifles provided a mounted reconnaissance capability; as part of the exercise scenario, with Sergeant Josephson’s unit performing tasks such as checking areas for possible booby traps or hidden enemies, with the vehicles moving forward in a staggered patrol as they cleared the way for infantry platoons.

It’s Sergeant Josephson’s role to ensure personnel in his unit are ready to carry-out their commander’s mission; that includes advising the Troop Commander of the tactical situation, being prepared to take command of the Troop if their leader becomes injured or killed, and training and monitoring the welfare of personnel. 

With three troopers in each of the unit’s four vehicles, Sergeant Josephson said his crew is tight-knit, and it has to be. 

“Out in the field we live in each other’s pockets so we need to get along and draw on our strengths.”

He said the experience of the Reserve Force personnel provides extra value, when working alongside the Regular Force.

“We need to be resourceful due to our isolation when we’re on operations so we pull on our civilian resources to better adapt – we have a mechanical engineer, builder, electrician, IT specialists, a paramedic and police officer to name a few.”

Sergeant Josephson said Army training has provided him with leadership development and a wide network which he brings back to Kinetic Electrical.

He’s encouraging others to join the Reserve Force. 

“In Armoured you get the best of both worlds.  You might pull up at a location, patrol through the night, set up an Observation Point, do an ambush, come back to the vehicles and go on to clear routes.  Light armoured can move far, fast, can track further, and you’re not patrolling everywhere on foot.”

Any Defence Recruiting enquiries can be directed to 0800 1 FORCE. Each Reserve Force company has its own training programme in line with its battalion’s training focus. Company level training typically happens one weekend a month, with platoon level training one night a week.