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TF Soldiers are Ready to Serve
For many years the mantra of the TF has been “give us the same equipment and opportunities as the RF and we will step up”. This occurred when the close to 400 TF deployed to East Timor over 1999-2002 demonstrated that TF could perform well to the required standard. Expanding opportunities exist now for the TF to fulfil roles both on operations and in New Zealand as TF soldiers’ and officers’ skill sets allow.
In the current operational environment the TF is a vital component of the Army’s deployments to allow some RF personnel time for a pause from deployments to retrain, regenerate, and have some time at home. Op RATA is testimony to that. The testing question becomes are the TF ready for an increased level of responsibility and level of dedication?
Brigadier Howie has clearly signalled to our Chief of Army that the TF is ready and waiting to do more. Therefore we all now need to move from ready and waiting to being trained and serving.
As the senior TF solider I have on your behalf committed to the Territorial Force Advisor and so to the Chief of Army that the TF soldiers are ready to serve. I firmly believe that the committed soldiers in the TF are trained with the required skill sets and are planning their employment and personal lives to allow time to serve.
We have learnt lessons from the past - short-term notice has now been replaced by advance notice; ad hoc opportunities are now been replaced by a more planned process. What can we do as soldiers to prepare?
- Firstly, are you a competent soldier? Do you have good military skills?
- Is your chain of command aware of your skills and employment opportunities? Have you demonstrated these skills in the training environment?
- Have you identified what training and/or courses you need to complete, and have you made yourselves available for this training?
- Are you medically, mentally and physically fit?
- Are your employers aware of the roles and timeframes? Have you consulted when best suits them? Have you discussed the advantages or benefits to them that the Army has to offer?
- Are your families aware of the roles and timeframes? Have you consulted them when time will be available to serve?
I am confident that as TF we will continue to stand up and serve well. As your TF senior soldier I can say I have made my contribution as I have deployed to East Timor with BA TT1, to Afghanistan on Op CRIB, and again to East Timor with Op GYRO . What will you say for your contribution?
This page was last reviewed on 19 October 2007 and is current.
