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Download Humanitarian Assistance Radio Advert [473KB .mp3 file]

Advert Text:

A cyclone has hit a remote mountain village.

Buildings are destroyed, locals are injured, food and water is scarce, there’s no access by road and comms are down.

You’re a New Zealand Army officer prioritising humanitarian assistance

Do you send:
A) a medical team
B) an Electronics Technician to repair communications
C) a Supply / Quartermaster with food and water
D) an Infantry section with temporary shelter

We’re recruiting now for Officers, Medics, Electronics Technicians and Supply Quartermasters.

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

Have you got what it takes?

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Advert Answer:

In a disaster relief scenario such as this, it is usual for a reconnaissance party to be sent in as soon as possible to assess the situation and prioritise assistance that may need to be sent. As the senior officer on the reconnaissance to the mountain village, it is your job to size up the situation on the ground and liaise with local authorities. You will need to make an assessment of damage and casualties, determine what infrastructure and resources will be available to support a relief effort, determine if the area is secure and identify suitable locations for distribution points and helicopter landing zones.

Once all of this is done, you will be better able to make an informed decision on the make up of your relief force! As there is no access by road, who you send and in what order you send them will also depend on how many helicopters you have available and their load capacity. 

All four answers would be correct and in this scenario you may have to send more than one element to provide a balanced relief force. All of this would depend on your assessment during the reconnaissance:

Answer A – A Medical Team. A medical team will be vital if there are extensive casualties. Medics will usually assist a Nursing or Medical Officer to prioritise emergency care, co-ordinate casualty extraction, treat casualties and assess the basic sanitary needs. Click here to find out more about the role of Medics.

Answer B – an Electronics Technician. An Electronics Technician would be able to repair vital village communications equipment to assist with the flow of information in and out of the village.  Given the remote location, Electronics Technicians would be an important part of any deployment and would ensure that all technical equipment such as radios, night vision equipment are kept in good working order. Click here to find out more about the role of Electronics Technicians.

Answer C – a Supply / Quartermaster with food and water. A Supply / Quartermaster would co-ordinate all the supplies required for the relief force and emergency supplies required for the isolated villagers (this would likely include food and clean water, but may also include clothing and bedding items, fuel for cooking etc). The Supply / Quartermaster would also assist the commander to set up and run a distribution point to ensure supplies are allocated efficiently and fairly. Click here to find out more about the role of Supply / Quartermasters.

Answer D – an Infantry section with temporary shelter. An Infantry section would be able to erect temporary shelter which may be vital for food and water distributions points and casualty evacuation and treatment posts should the weather remain still inclement or if shelter from the sun is required. Riflemen also receive first aid training and would be able to assist medics in the treatment of causalities. They would be able to assist with the distribution of supplies, providing security and basic reconstruction tasks. Click here to find out more about the role of Rifleman.