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Hey TF, Time is Coming for us to Step Up
From Brigadier Ants Howie, Territorial Forces Advisor to Chief of Army
I couldn’t seriously have envisaged, 15 years ago, engaging the TF to tell them to get ready to serve overseas on deployments. The security situation then was far different, and the few operational deployments were largely the domain of the RF. Haven’t times changed? Everyone is aware that our ABCA partners are fighting what they term “the long war” which includes the war on terror, UN operations, support to failing states, national and international disaster relief, and homeland security. And all of their Army Reserve forces are heavily committed to supporting their operations.
Operations are now continuous. The NZDF and the Army in particular are heavily committed to many. At any one time the Army has close to a battalion’s worth of people deployed which means the same number is preparing to go and the same number has returned and is ‘regenerating’. This has and continues to pressure the Army. That is why the TF have been required to support Op RATA and some other missions, and are doing so in ways that bring much credit on New Zealand and the Army.
We in the TF need to do as much as we can to support the Army – this is why we have TF. One thing we have learned is that nation building is a long term game not a short one, and we are likely to remain involved in RAMSI on Op RATA for years and not months. That mission needs predominantly junior ranks and those who have been affirm it is a very professionally satisfying experience. Meanwhile, all those other missions continue, mostly with six-month rotations. I believe TF should strive to do more to support them. There are opportunities for trained TF of various ranks to deploy to Afghanistan (Op CRIB), Timor Leste (Op GYRO ), and Op RATA of course. For officers there are positions in other certain UN missions. These will require ‘current’ TF who have good all around military skills, and who are willing to deploy. I have instructed the TF Military Secretary’s office to develop a more proactive process, a tool, to better forecast the deployments that we need TF officers for and take that out to all officers. There is great opportunity to contribute to various missions around the globe. Finally, many TF take short-term RF contracts or project work to sustain the Army ‘at home’; this will also be a constant with much opportunity now and in the future.
From my own experience, getting TF ready for and away on a deployment is not simple. We have learned much since “Timor1” and are applying those lessons now. The Army is developing strategies on how to better prepare, use and deploy TF and Op RATA really is ‘best practice’ for this. TF volunteering to deploy brings personal risk – employment, financial, personal relationships etc. The Army is clear that commitment needs to work both ways and has done much to reinforce that, and to provide certainty as early as possible.
Trained TF are needed now to help sustain operations. My message for all TF to reflect on now, is quite simple –
There is much opportunity for TF to sustain operations now and in the future.
We need TF (commanders and trainers) to train and maintain TF in NZ always.
While I know many TF need time out from the TF at times, you need to be able to make some sort of contribution. Most importantly, there is huge opportunity for TF to do what we all joined the Army do. So get ready to step up.
Ants Howie
Brigadier
Territorial Force Advisor
This page was last reviewed on 19 October 2007 and is current.
