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Download Remote Comms Station Repair Radio Advert [468KB .mp3 file]

Advert Text:

Its 1 am; the weather has damaged a remote communications station and you must communicate with patrols providing humanitarian aide to remote villages.

The station needs to be repaired, access is by foot, 5 kilometres up a muddy track, and you must carry your repair equipment with you.

Your boss wants to know when the station will be repaired.

What do you tell her?

New Zealand’s Army are recruiting now for Systems Engineers and Information System Operators, have you got what it takes?

Visit army.mil.nz to find solutions and your next challenge.

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Advert Answer:

As a soldier in New Zealand’s Army you must be prepared to do your job under challenging conditions, by day or night and work together as part of a team to complete tasks. In this scenario, it is vital that communications are restored as quickly as possible so that the command post remains in contact with troops who are in a remote area delivering humanitarian aid.

As the commander you would be required to put a plan in place for the patrol to move to and repair the communications station. There are a number of factors you would need to consider and you would need to allow enough time for various tasks to give your boss an accurate estimation of when the station will be repaired.

• You don’t know exactly what the problem is but you do know that you would need to consult the Army’s communications experts to plan this task. They will be able to provide advice on who should be in the patrol and the type of equipment you would need to take with you to repair the communications station. It is likely that one of them will also come with you on the patrol.
• You would need to allow time for:
  • A map reconnaissance (checking the map to confirm the location of the communications station, possible routes, alternative routes, any obstacles in your way). There may also be satellite imagery or aerial photographs of the area you could consult to prepare for the patrol. Allow at least 30 mins – 0130 hrs.
  • Preparation of your patrol (this is called “Battle Preparation”). This would include preparing and checking equipment, preparing and delivering orders, conducting rehearsals and conducting inspections prior to departing. Allow at least 2 hrs – 0330 hrs.
  • Movement to the Communications Station. You know how far you have to travel (5km) and expect that you will be able to move at 1km / hr (it is night-time and although you have night vision equipment, you will be walking on a muddy track and have a lot of equipment to carry with you). Allow at least 5 hrs + 30 mins (rest breaks and fudge factor) – 0900 hrs.
  • When you get to the site, you will have to asses the damage to the station. As it would now be daylight you would probably need to allow at least 20 – 30 mins depending on the problem – 0930 hrs.
  • And finally, you would need to allow time to repair the fault. Based on advice from your communications experts, this would take approximately 30 mins – 1000 hrs.

Therefore, the earliest the station can be repaired is 1000 hrs. If your solution was near this time you may have what it takes to be a Systems Engineer or Information Systems Operator in New Zealand’s Army.

Systems Engineers provide technical engineering support to the Army’s communications equipment, whilst Information Systems Operators provide information system support on the battlefield. Click here to find out more about the role of Systems Engineers and Information Systems Operators.